?4A?vzHP 


St\  ^t  *\.i- 


LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

„„  7/ 


Accessions 


.  Class  No. 


PRACTICAL 


BLACKSMITHING. 


A    COLLECTION    OF    ARTICLES     CONTRIBUTED    AT     DIFFERENT    TIMES    BY 

SKILLED    WORKMEN    TO   THE    COLUMN'S    OF   "THE   BLACKSMITH 

AND    WHEELWRIGHT"    AND    COVERING    NEARLY    THE 

WHOLE    RANGE    OF    BLACKSMITHING    FROM 

THE    SIMPLEST    JOB    OF    WORK  TO 


SOME  OF  THE  MOST  COM- 
PLEX FORMINGS. 


Compiled  and  Edited  by 

M.    T.     RICHARDSON, 

/  / 
Editor  of  "THK  BLA^SJUUXU^AXD  WHEELWRIGHT." 


VOLUME  I. 


NEW  YORK 
M.  T.  RICHARDSON,  PUBLISHER. 

1889. 


4> 


COPYRIGHT,  1889, 
BY  M.  T.   RICHARDSON. 


THE    BEN-rRANKLIN    PRESS, 

45  TO   51    ROSE   ST., 

NEW    YORK. 


PREFACE. 


Although  there  are  numerous  legendary  accounts 
of  the  important  position  occupied  by  the  black- 
smith, and  the  honors  accorded  him  even  at  a  period 
as  remote  in  the  world's  history  as  the  time  of  King 
Solomon,  strange  to  relate  there  is  no  single  work  in 
the  language  devoted  solely  to  the  practice  of  the 
blacksmith's  art.  Occasional  chapters  on  the  subject 
may  be  found,  however,  in  mechanical  books,  as  well 
as  brief  essays  in  encyclopedias.  While  fragmentary 
allusions  to  this  important  trade  have  from  time  to 
time  appeared  in  newspapers  and  magazines,  no 
one  has  ever  attempted  anything  like  an  exhaustive 
work  on  the  subject ;  perhaps  none  is  possible.  This 
paucity  of  literature  concerning  a  branch  of  the 
mechanic  arts,  without  which  other  trades  would 
cease  to  exist  from  lack  of  proper  tools,  cannot  be 
attributed  to  a  want  of  intelligence  on  the  part  of 
the  disciples  of  Vulcan.  It  is  perfectly  safe  to 
assert,  that  in  this  respect  blacksmiths  can  hold  their 
own  with  mechanics  in  any  other  branch  of  industry. 
From  their  ranks  have  sprung  many  distinguished 
men.  Among  the  number  may  be  mentioned  Elihu 


IV  PREFACE. 

Burritt,  known  far  and  wide  as  the  "  learned  black- 
smith." The  Rev.  Robt.  Colyer,  pastor  of  the 
leading  Unitarian  Church  in  New  York  City,  started 
in  life  as  a  blacksmith,  and  while  laboring  at  the 
forge,  began  the  studies  which  have  since  made  him 
famous. 

Exactly  why  no  attempt  has  ever  been  made  to 
write  a  book  on  blacksmithing,  it  would  be  difficult 
to  explain.  It  is  not  contended  that  in  the  follow- 
ing pages  anything  like  a  complete  consideration  of 
the  subject  will  be  undertaken.  For  the  most  part 
the  matter  has  been  taken  from  the  columns  of  The 
Blacksmith  and  Wheelwright,  to  which  it  was  con- 
tributed by  practical  men  from  all  parts  of  the 
American  continent.  The  Blacksmith  and  Wheel- 
wrighty  it  may  be  observed,  is  at  present  the  only 
journal  in  the  world  which  makes  the  art  of  black- 
smithing  an  essential  feature. 

In  the  nature  of  things,  the  most  that  can  be  done 
by  the  editor  and  compiler  of  these  fragmentary 
articles,  is  to  group  the  different  subjects  together 
and  present  them  with  as  much  system  as  possible. 
The  editor  does  not  hold  himself  responsible  for 
the  subject  matter,  or  the  treatment  which  each 
topic  receives  at  the  hands  of  its  author.  There 
may  be,  sometimes,  a  better  way  of  doing  a  job 
of  work  than  the  one  described  herein,  but  it  is 
believed  that  the  average  blacksmith  may  obtain 
much  information  from  these  pages,  even  if  oc- 


PREFACE.  V 

casionally  some  of  the  methods  given  are  inferior 
to  those  with  whidh  he  is  familiar.  The  editor  has 
endeavored,  so  far  as  possible,  to  preserve  the  exact 
language  of  each  contributor. 

While  a  skillful  blacksmith  of  extended  experience, 
with  a  turn  for  literature,  might  be  able  to  write  a 
book  arranged  more  systematically,  and  possibly 
treating  of  more  subjects,  certain  it  is  that  no  one  up 
to  the  present  time  has  ever  made  the  attempt,  and 
it  is  doubtful  if  such  a  work  would  contain  the 
same  variety  of  practical  information  that  will  be 
found  in  these  pages,  formed  of  contributions  from 
hundreds  of  able  workmen  scattered  over  a  wide 
area. 

THE  EDITOR. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Some  time  since,  Mr.  G.  H.  Birch  read  a  paper 
before  the  British  Architectural  Association  entitled: 
"The  Art  of  the  Blacksmith."  The  essential  por- 
tions of  this  admirable  essay  are  reproduced  here 
as  a  fitting  introduction  to  this  volume: 

"  It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  present  paper  to 
endeavor  to  trace  the  actual  working  of  iron  from 
primeval  times,  from  those  remote  ages  when  the 
ever-busy  and  inventive  mind  of  man  first  conceived 
the  idea  of  separating  the  metal  from  the  ore,  and 
impressing  upon  the  shapeless  mass  those  forms  of 
offense  or  defense,  or  of  domestic  use,  which  oc- 
casion required  or  fancy  dictated. 

"  Legends,  both  sacred  and  profane,  point  retro- 
spectively, the  former  to  a  Tubal  Cain,  and  the 
latter  to  four  successive  ages  of  gold  and  silver, 
brass  and  iron.  Inquiry  stops  on  the  very  edge  of 
that  vague  and  dim  horizon  of  countless  ages,  nor 
would  it  be  profitable  to  unravel  myths  or  legends, 
or  to  indulge  in  speculation  upon  a  subject  so  un- 
fathomable. Abundant  evidence  is  forthcoming  not 
only  of  its  use  in  the  weapons,  utensils  and  tools  of 


Vlll  INTRODUCTION. 

remote  times,  but  also  of  its  use  in  decorative  art ; 
unfortunately,  unlike  bronze,  which  can  resist  the 
destructive  influence  of  climate  and  moisture,  iron— 
whether  in  the  more  tempered  form  of  steel  or  in 
its  own  original  state — readily  oxidizes,  and  leaves 
little  trace  of  its  actual  substance  behind,  so  that 
relics  of  very  great  antiquity  are  but  few  and  far 
between.  It  remains  for  our  age  to  call  in  science, 
and  protect  by"  a  lately  discovered  process  the  works 
of  art  in  this  metal,  and  to  transmit  them  uninjured 
to  future  ages.  In  the 

*w 

RETROSPECTIVE    HISTORY    OF   THE    BLACKSMITH'S   ART 

no  period  was  richer  in  inventive  fancy  than  that 
period  of  the  so-called  Middle  Ages.  England, 
France,  Italy,  and  more  especially  Germany,  vied 
with  each  other  in  producing  wonders  of  art.  The 
anvil  and  the  hammer  were  ever  at  work,  and  the  glow 
of  the  forge  with  its  stream  of  upward  sparks  seemed 
to  impart,  Prometheus-like,  life  and  energy  to  the 
inert  mass  of  metal  submitted  to  its  fierce  heat. 
Nowhere  at  any  period  were  the  technicalities  of  iron 
so  thoroughly  understood,  and  under  the  stalwart 
arm  of  the  smith  brought  to  such  perfection,  both  of 
form  and  workmanship,  as  in  Europe  during  this 
period  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

The  common  articles  of  domestic  use  shared  the 
influence  of  art  alike  with  the  more  costly  work 
destined  for  the  service  of  religion  ;  the  homely 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

gridiron  and  pot-hook  could  compare  with  the 
elaborate  hinge  of  the  church  door  or  the  grille 
which  screened  the  tomb  or  chapel.  The  very  nail 
head  was  a  thing  of  beauty. 

Of  articles  for  domestic  use  of  a  very  early  period 
handed  down  to  our  times  we  have  but  few  speci- 
mens, and  this  can  easily  be  accounted  for.  The 
ordinary  wear  and  tear  and  frequent  change  of 
proprietorship  and  fashion,  in  addition  to  the  in- 
trinsic value  of  the  metal,  contributed  to  their  dis- 
appearance. "  New  lamps  for  old  ones,"  is  a  cease- 
less, unchanging  cry  from  age  to  age.  In  ecclesi- 
astical metal-work,  of  course,  the  specimens  are  more 
numerous  and  more  perfectly  preserved  ;  their  con- 
nection with  the  sacred  edifices  which  they  adorned 
and  strengthened  proved  their  salvation. 

IRON    TO    PROTECT    THE    HUMAN    FORM. 

Without  going  very  minutely  into  the  subject  of 
arms  and  armor,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  refer 
briefly  to  the  use  of  iron  in  that  most  important 
element,  in  the  protection  of  the  human  form,  before 
the  introduction  of  more  deadly  weapons  in  the  art  of 
slaying  rendered  such  protection  useless.  In  the 
Homeric  age  such  coverings  seem  to  have  been  of 
the  most  elaborate  and  highly  wrought  character, 
for,  although  Achilles  may  be  purely  a  hypothet- 
ical personage,  Homer,  in  describing  his  armor, 
probably  only  described  such  as  was  actually  in  use 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

in  his  own  day,  and  may  have  slightly  enriched  it 
with  his  own  poetic  fancy.  From  the  paintings  on 
vases  we  know  that  sometimes  rings  of  metal  were 
used,  sewn  on  to  a  tunic  of  leather.  They  may  have 
been  bronze,  but  there  is  also  every  reason  to 
believe  that  they  were  sometimes  made  of  iron. 
Polybius  asserts  that  the  Roman  soldiers  wore  chain- 
mail,  which  is  sometimes  described  as  "  molli  lorica 
catena"  and  we  find  innumerable  instances  on 
sculptured  slabs  of  this  use,  and  in  London,  among 
some  Roman  remains  discovered  in  Eastcheap  and 
Moor  Lane,  actual  specimens  of  this  ringed  armor 
occurred,  in  which  the  rings  did  not  interlace  as  in 
later  specimens,  but  were  welded  together  at  the 
edge*  From  this  time  there  is  authentic  evidence  of 
its  constant  use.  The  Anglo-Saxons  wore  it,  as  it  is 
frequently  described  in  manuscripts  of  this  period. 
Later  on,  the  Bayeux  tapestry  represents  it  beyond 
the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  both  in  the  manner  as  before 
described  and  also  in-scales  overlapping  one  another  ; 
while  the  helmet  of  a  conical  shape,  with  a  straight 
bar  in  front  to  protect  the  nose,  is  also  very  ac- 
curately figured.  What  we  call 

CHAIN-MAIL 

proper  did  not  appear  before  Stephen's  reign,  and 
its  introduction  followed  closely  after  the  first 
Crusade,  and  was  doubtless  derived  from  the  East, 
where  the  art  of  working  in  metals  had  long  been 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

known  and  practised.  The  very  term  "  mail " 
means  hammered,  and  from  Stephen's  time  until  that 
of  Edward  III.  it  was  universally  used;  but  long 
before  the  last  mentioned  period  many  improve- 
ments, suggested  by  a  practical  experience,  had 
modified  the  complete  coat  of  chain-mail.  Little  by 
little  small  plates  of  iron  fastened  by  straps  and 
buckles  to  the  chain-mail,  to  give  additional  safety  to 
exposed  portions  of  the  person,  gradually  changed 
the  appearance,  and  developed  at  last  into  complete 
plate  armor,  such  as  is  familiar  to  us  by  the  many 
monumental  brasses  and  effigies  still  extant  ;  the 
chain-mail  being  only  used  as  a  sort  of  fringe  to  the 
helmet,  covering  the  neck,  and  as  an  apron,  until 
even  this  disappeared,  although  it  was  near  the 
end  of  the  sixteenth  century — so  far  as  Europe  is 
concerned — before  the  chain-mail  finally  vanished. 
After  this  date  armor  became  more  elaborately 
decorated  by  other  processes  besides  those  of  the 
armorer's  or  smith's  inventive  genius.  Damascen- 
ing, gilding  and  painting  were  extensively  employed, 
and  more  especially  engraving  or  chasing;  and  the 
collections  at  the  Tower — and  more  particularly  the 
rich  collection  formed  by  her  Imperial  Majesty,  the 
ex-Empress  of  the  French,  at  Pierrefonds,  now  at 
the  Hotel  des  Invalides — show  us  to  what  a  wonderful 
extent  this  ornamentation  of  armor  could  be  carried. 
The  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  still 
gave  employment  to  the  smith,  until  the  utter  in- 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

ability  of  such  a  protection  against  the  deadly 
bullet,  rendered  its  further  use  ridiculous,  and  in 
these  days  it  only  appears  in  England  in  the  modi- 
fied form  of  a  cuirass  in  the  showy  but  splendid 
uniform  of  the  Horse  and  Life  Guards  or  occasion- 
ally in  the  Lord  Mayor's  show,  when  the  knights 
of  old  are  represented  by  circus  supernumeraries,  as 
unlike  these  ancient  prototypes  as  the  tin  armor  in 
which  they  are  uncomfortably  encased  resembles  the 
ancient. 

With  the  armor  the  weapons  used  by  its  wearers 
have  been  handed  down  to  our  time,  and  magnificent 
specimens  they  are  of  an  art  which,  although  it  may 
not  be  entirely  dead  among  us  in  these  days,  is  cer- 
tainly dormant  so  far  as  this  branch  of  it  is  con- 
cerned. The  massive  sword  of  the  early  mediaeval 
period,  which  depended  on  its  own  intrinsic  weight 
and  admirably  tempered  edge  rather  than  on  its  or- 
namentation ;  the  maces,  battle-axes,  halberds  and 
partisans,  show  a  gradual  increase  of  beauty  and 
finish  in  their  workmanship.  The  sword  and  dagger 
hilts  became  more  and  more  elaborate,  especially  in 
Germany,  where  the  blade  of  the  sword  is  often  of 
most  eccentric  form  and  pattern,  as  if  it  was  in- 
tended more  to  strike  terror  by  its  appearance  than 
by  its  actual  application. 

Many  of  the  ancient  sword-hilts  preserved  in 
England,  at  the  Musee  d'Artillerie  in  Paris,  and  at 
Madrid,  Vienna,  Dresden  and  Turin,  are  of  the 


INTRODUCTION.  Xlll 

most  marvelous  beauty  and  workmanship  that  it  is 
possible  to  conceive,  more  particularly  those  of  the 
sixteenth  century.  Italy  and  France  vied  with  each 
other  in  producing  these  art  treasures  of  the  craft  of 
the  smith;  Milan,  Turin  and  Toledo  were  the  prin- 
cipal seats  of  industry,  and  in  Augsburg,  in  Ger- 
many, there  lived  and  died  generations  of  men  who 
were  perfect  masters  in  this  art  of  the  smith. 

The  decadence  with  regard  to  the  weapon  was  as 
marked  as  that  of  the  armor ;  the  handle  of  the 
sword  became  more  and  more  enriched  with  the 
productions  of  the  goldsmith's  and  lapidary's  art  until 
the  swords  became  rather  fitted  to  dangle  as  gilded 
appendages  against  the  embroidered  cloaks  or  the 
silken  stockings  of  the  courtier,  than  to  clang  with 
martial  sound  against  the  steel-encased  limbs  of  the 
warrior. 

It  would  be  beyond  the  limits  of  the  present  paper 
to  enumerate  the  many  examples  of  ancient  work  in 

WEAPONS    AND    ARMOR 

contained  in  the  public  museums  of  Europe,  and 
also  in  private  collections.  Armor  is  only  mentioned 
here  to  give  an  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  the  art 
of  working  in  iron  was  carried,  of  the  perfection  it 
attained,  and  how  thoroughly  the  capabilities  of 
metal  were  understood,  noting  well  that  the  casting 
of  the  metal  into  molds  was  scarcely  ever  practised, 
that  it  was  entirely  the  work  of  the  hammer  and 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

the  anvil,  that  the  different  pieces  were  welded  and 
riveted  by  manual  labor  of  the  smith,  and  then  sub- 
sequently finished  in  the  same  manner  by  the  various 
processes  of  engraving,  chasing  and  punching. 
The  next  division  of  the  subject  is  the  use  of 

IRON    IN    ECCLESIASTICAL   ART, 

and  this  comprises  hinges  of  doors,  locks  and  fasten- 
ings, screens,  railings  and  vases.  We  have  already 
seen  to  what  perfection  it  could  be  brought  in  defend- 
ing man  against  his  fellow  man.;  its  nobler  employ- 
ment in  the  service  of  his  Maker  remains  to  be  con- 
sidered. The  church  door  first  engages  our  atten- 
tion, the  framing  of  the  door  requiring  additional 
strength  beyond  the  ordinary  mortising,  dovetailing 
and  tenoning  of  the  wood,  and  this  additional 
strength  was  imparted  by  the  use  of  iron,  and  so 
completely  was  this  attained  that  we  have  only  to 
turn  to  numerous  examples,  still  existing,  to  prove 
the  manner  in  which  it  was  done  and  the  form  it 
took.  The  hinge  was  usually  constructed  in  the 
following  manner :  a  strong  hook  was  buift  into  the 
wall  with  forked  ends  well  built  into  the  masonry  ; 
on  this  hook  was  hung  the  hinge,  which,  for  the  con- 
venience of  the  illustration,  we  will  consider  as  simply 
a  plain  strap  or  flat  bar  of  wrought-iron,  its  orna- 
mentation being  a  matter  of  after  consideration  ; 
this  strap  had  at  one  end  a  hollow  tube  or  ring  of 
metal  which  fitted  on  to  the  hook,  allowing  the 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

hinge  to  turn  ;  the  strap  on  the  outside  of  the  door 
was  longer  than  the  one  on  the  inside,  with  sufficient 
space  between  the  two  to  allow  for  the  framing  of 
the  door  and  its  outside  planking,  and  the  back  and 
front  straps  were  united  by  bolts,  nails  or  rivets, 
which  passed  through  the  thickness  of  the  wood, 
and  firmly  secured  all,  the  form  of  the  opening  in 
the  masonry  preventing,  when  once  the  door  was 
firmly  fastened  by  a  lock  or  bolt,  its  being  forced  up 
from  the  hooks  on  which  it  hung.  Allusion  has  been 
made  to  the  planking,  which  invariably  covered  the 
framing  ;  beside  the  security  of  the  strap  this  plank- 
ing was  also  fastened  to  the  frame  by  nail  heads  and 
scrolls  of  metal,  sometimes  covering  the  whole  of 
the  outside  of  the  door  with  very  beaut  ful  designs ;  in 
most  cases  the  scrolls  started  from  the  plain  strap, 
but  sometimes  they  were  separate.  This  was  the 
usual  construction,  irrespective  of  century,  which 
prevailed  in  England.  On  the  Continent,  especially 
in  Italy,  at  Verona  and  Rome,  and  at  other  places, 
the  exteriors  of  doors  were  entirely  covered  with 
plaques  of  bronze.  A  survival  of  the  ancient  classic 
times,. that  of  Saint  Zeno,  Verona,  is  one  of  the  most 
remarkable,  and  is  probably  of  Eastern  work. 
Although  of  bronze,  and  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
present  paper,  allusion  is  made  to  it  in  consequence 
of  the  ornamentation  and  nail  heads,  reminding  one 
of  some  of  the  earliest  specimens  of  Norman  or 
twelfth-century  metal  in  England  and  France. 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  decide  which  is  really  the 
earliest 

SPECIMEN    OF   AN    IRON    HINGE 

in  this  country.  Barfreston  Church,  in  Kent,  has 
some  early  iron  work  on  the  doors,  and  the  Cathedrals 
of  Durham  and  Ripon  and  St.  Albans.  It  would 
be  hazardous  to  say  that  this  last-mentioned  specimen 
is  absolutely  Norman  ;  although  generally  accounted 
such,  it  is  more  probably  twelfth-century.  It  occurs 
on  the  door  leading  from  the  south  transept  into  the 
"  Slype,"  the  said  door  having  two  elaborate  scroll 
hinges,  more  quaint  than  beautiful,  the  scrolls  being 
closely  set,  and  the  foliage  very  stiff,  the  edge  of 
the  leaves  being  cut  into  a  continuous  chevron  with 
a  stiff  curl  at  the  termination  ;  the  main  part  of  the 
band  or  strap,  before  it  branches  out  into  the  scrolls 
and  foliage,  being  indented  with  a  deep  line  in  the 
center.  From  this  the  section  slopes  on  each  side, 
on  which  are  engraved  deeply  a  zigzag  pattern 
whose  pointmeet  forms  a  sort  of  lozenge,  the  sec- 
tions of  the  scrolls  and  foliage  being  flat  and 
engraved  with  a  single  chevron.  The  whole  of  the 
hinge  is  studded  with  small  quartrefoil-headed  nails 
at  regular  distances.  On  the  band  from  which  the 
foliage  springs  there  is  a  peculiarly-formed  raised 
projection  like  an  animal's  head,  slightly  resembling 
a  grille  at  Westminster  Abbey,  to  which  reference 
will  be  made  :  the  hinge  is  either  a  rude  copy  of  a 


INTRODUCTION.  XV11 

thirteenth-century  one,  or  it  may  be  a  prototype  of 
the  later  and  richer  work  of  the  next  era.  On  the 
door  of  Durham  Cathedral  nave  there  is  a  very  fine 
specimen  of  a 

KNOCKER, 

called  the  "sanctuary"  knocker,  of  a  lion  or  cat 
looking  with  erect  ears,  and  surrounded  by  a  stiff  con- 
ventional mane,  from  which  the  head  projects  con- 
siderably ;  and  from  the  mouth,  which  is  well  gar- 
nished with  sharp  teeth,  depends  a  ring,  the  upper 
part  of  which  is  flattened,  and  at  the  junction  of  the 
circular  and  flat  part  on  each  side  is  the  head  of  an 
animal,  from  whose  open  mouth  the  flat  part  pro- 
ceeds. It  is  a  wonderfully  spirited  composition  with 
an  immense  deal  of  character  about  it,  the  deep 
lines  proceeding  from  the  nose  to  the  two  corners  of 
the  mouth  reminding  one  of  some  of  the  Assyrian 
work.  The  eyes  project  and  are  pierced ;  it  is 
supposed  that  they  were  filled  at  the  back  with  some 
vitreous  paste,  but  of  this  there  is  no  proof.  This 
grim  knocker  played  a  very  important  part  in  early 
times,  for  Durham  Cathedral  possessed  the  privilege 
of  "  sanctuary "  and  many  a  poor  hunted  fugitive 
must  have  frantically  seized  the  knocker  and  woke 
the  echoes  of  Durham's  holy  shade,  and  brought  by 
its  startling  summons  the  two  Benedictine  monks 
who  kept  watch  and  ward  by  day  and  night  in  the 
chambers  above  the  porch,  and  at  once  admitted  him 


XV111  INTRODUCTION. 

into  the  sacred  precinct,  and,  taking  down  the  hur- 
ried tale  in  the  presence  of  witnesses,  passed  him  to 
the  chambers  kept  ready  prepared  in  the  western 
towers,  where  for  the  space  of  thirty-nine  days  he  was 
safe  from  pursuit,  and  was  bound  to  be  helped  beyond 
seas,  out  of  the  reach  of  danger.  The  peculiarity 
attached  to  this  Durham  knocker  must  be  the 
excuse  for  this  digression. 

Examples  of  this  sort  of  knockers,  although  not 
necessarily  "  sanctuary  "  ones,  are  by  no  means  un- 
common. Beautiful  examples  exist  at  the  collegiate 
church  of  St.  Elizabeth,  Marburg,  at  the  cathedral 
of  Erfurt,  in  Germany,  and  at  the  church  of  St. 
Julian,  Brionde,  in  Auvergne,  France.  The  Erfurt 
example  is  just  as  grim  a  monster  as  the  Durham 
one ;  the  mane  in  each  case  is  very  similar,  but  it 
has  the  additional  attraction  of  the  figure  of  a  man 
between  its  formidable  teeth,  the  head  and  fore  part 
of  the  body,  with  uplifted  arms,  projecting  from  the 
mouth  ;  but  the  ring  is  plain,  and  it  has  an  additional 
twisted  cable  rim  encircling  the  mane. 

Farringdon  Church,  Berks,  possesses  a  very  beauti- 
ful specimen  of  early  metal-work  in  the  hinges  on 
one  of  its  doors,  very  much  richer  in  detail  than  the 
St.  Albans  example,  a  photograph  of  which  is  shown. 
Roughly  speaking,  there  are  two  hinges  of  not  quite 
similar  design,  with  floriated  scrolls  and  a  very  rich 
band  or  strap  between  them,  floriated  at  each  end, 
and  at  the  apex  a  curious  perpendicular  bar  terminat- 


INTRODUCTION.  XIX 

ing  at  the  lower  end  in  the  head  of  an  animal,  and  at 
the  upper  with  scrolls  fitting  to  the  shape  of  the  arch  ; 
the  whole  of  the  hinges,  bands  and  scrolls  are  thickly 
studded  with  nails  and  grotesque  heads  and  beaten 
ornaments.  The  church  has  been  restored  ;  the  stone 
carving,  which  is  of  thirteenth-century  character,  is 
entirely  modern,  and  therefore  misleading,  and  must 
not  be  taken  as  the  date  of  the  door  with  its  metal 
work. 

At  Staplehurst  Church,  Kent,  there  was  formerly 
on  one  of  the  doors  a  very  characteristic  Norman 
hinge,  of  a  very  early  type  ;  but  this  church  has  also 
undergone  restoration,  and  a  friend,  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  the  photograph  of  the  Farringdon  ex- 
ample, states  that  this  hinge  was  not  there  at  his 
last  visit ;  but  in  general  form  it  resembles  one  at 
Edstaston  Church,  Shropshire,  which  retains  its  orig- 
inal hinges  on  the  north  and  south  doors  of  the  nave. 
There  are  many  other  examples  scattered  about  Eng- 
land, but  all  these  Norman  or  twelfth-century  hinges 
follow  more  or  less  the  same  idea — a  broad  strap  ter- 
minating in  scrolls,  and  whose  end  next  the  stone- 
work is  intersected  by  another  broad  strap  forming 
nearly  two-thirds  of  a  circle,  with  scrolls  at  the  ends  ; 
and  between  the  two  hinges  by  which  the  door  is 
actually  hung,  there  is  one  or  more  flat  bands,  also 
floriated,  the  iron-work  protecting  the  whole  surface 
of  the  woodwork^J^S^ffSrfe^ompletelv  as  in  the 
next  era. 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 

In  France  the  work  was,  like  the  architecture,  a 
little  more  advanced.  Foliage  was  more  extensively 
used,  the  scrolls  generally  finished  with  a  well- 
molded  leaf  or  rosette  ;  but  the  form  of  the  scrolls  is 
still  stiff  and  lacks  the  graceful  flow  of  the  thirteenth 
century.  Some  of  the  best  specimens  are  preserved 
at  the  cathedrals  of  Angers,  Le  Puy,  Noyeau,  Paris, 
and  many  others,  especially  at  the  Abbey  of  St.  Denis. 

DOOR  WORK. 

In  addition  to  the  metal-work  on  the  doors,  in 
many  of  the  large  churches  in  France  of  the  twelfth 
century,  the  large  wheel  windows  are  filled  with 
ornamental  iron  grilles.  Noyeau  has  a  noted  ex- 
ample.  These  grilles  were  more  particularly  used 
when"  there  was  no  tracery,  the  ramifications  of.  the 
iron-work  almost  supplying  the  want  of  it.  Viollet 
le  Due  in  his  Dictionnaire  Raissonne  gives  a  very 
beautiful  example  of  this.  The  grilles  referred  to 
are  not  the  iron  frames  in  which  the  twelfth  and 
thirteenth  century  stained  glass  is  contained,  as  at 
Canterbury,  Bourges  and  Chartres,  and  in  innumer- 
able other  instances, 'but 'were  designed  especially  to 
fill  these  large  circular  openings,  and  the  effect  is 
very  beautiful. 

The  next  era -during  which  the  smith's  art  seems  to 
have  arrived  at  a  culminating  point  is  the  thirteenth 
century.  We  have  an  immense  number  of  examples, 
nor  have  we  to  go  far  to  find  them  ;  they  are  as  well 


INTRODUCTION.  XXI 

represented  in  England  as  on  the  Continent.     The 
idea  is  much  the  same  as  in  the  preceding  century, 
only  the  scrolls  are  easier  in  their  curves,  the  folia- 
tions more  general,  and  the  wood-work  almost  en- 
tirely   covered.      In    the    cloisters    of    St.    George's 
Chapel,  Windsor,  is  a  nearly  perfect  example  ;  the 
door  occurs  in  Henry  III.'s  work,  some  very  beauti- 
ful wall  arcading    still    remaining    in  juxtaposition. 
The  door  itself  is  of  more  recent  date,  probably  Ed- 
ward IV. 's  time,  but  the  iron-work  has  belonged  to 
an  earlier  door.     It  can  scarcely  be  called  a  hinge; 
it  is  more  correctly  a  covering  of  metal-work,  and  al- 
though mutilated  in  parts,  the  design  is  exceedingly 
beautiful.     Each  leaf  of  the  door  has  three  pointed 
ovals,  known    technically  as    tthe  "vesica"    shape; 
these  are  intersected  in  the  center  perpendicularly  by 
a  bar  of  iron,  and  from  this  and  the  vesicse  spring  vefy 
beautiful    curves,    filling  up    the    whole    interstices. 
The  sides  and  arched  top  have  an  outer  continuing 
line  of  iron,  from  which  spring  little  buds  of  foliage 
at  intervals  ;    the    lower  vesicae  are  now    imperfect, 
having  one-third  cut  off,  and  the  top  continuing  line 
on  the  left  is  wanting.     Between  the  first  and  second 
panels  are  two  circular  discs  with  rings  for  handles, 
seemingly  of  later  date;  the  intersecting  bar  is  not 
continuous,  but  terminates  close  to  the  point  of  each 
oval,  with  an  embossed  rosette,  thickly  studded  with 
small  nails  to  attach  it  to  the  wood-work,  and  with 
heads,  bosses  and  leaves  at  intervals. 


XX11  INTRODUCTION. 

At  York  Minster  there  are  splendid  specimens  of 
metal  work  on  two  cope  chests  ;  these  chests  are  of 
the  shape  of  a  quadrant  of  a  circle,  so  as  to  obviate 
folding  the  cope,  often  stiff  with  gold  embroidery. 
The  lids  open  in  the  center  more  than  once,  and  the 
hinges  with  their  scrolls  cover  the  whole  surface  ; 
the  design  and  execution  of  the  work  being  similar 
to  the  previous  example. 

At  Chester  Cathedral  there  is  an  upright  vestment 
press  in  the  sacristy,  opening  in  three  divisions  of 
one  subdivision  ;  but  in  this  case,  as  at  Windsor,  the 
iron-work  is  more  as  a  protection  than  as  a  hinge,  for 
the  hinges  are  separate,  being  only  small  straps  of 
metal  and  not  connected  with  the  scrolls.  The  de- 
sign is  irregular,  the  center  division  having  a  per- 
pendicular line  from  which  spring  five  scrolls  on  each 
side,  with  floriated  ends ;  the  left-hand  division  has 
one  bold  scroll  in  three  curves,  and  the  right-hand 
division  opens  in  two  subdivisions,  each  having  a 
horizontal  bar  in  the  center,  with  scrolls  springing 
from  each  side,  but  reversed,  the  lower  being  the 
boldest  ;  the  center  and  right  have  continuing  lines 
on  each  side,  but  none  at  the  top  or  bottom.  This 
example  at  Chester  Cathedral  is  a  very  beautiful  one, 
and  not  so  much  known  as  it  should  be,  or  deserves. 

At  Ripon  Cathedral  there  is  also  another  vestment 
press,  but  the  hinges  are  plain  strap  hinges  with  a 
stiff  conventional  series  of  curves  on  each  side,  more 
curious,  perhaps,  than  beautiful,  The  handle  is  a 


INTRODUCTION.  XX111 

simple  circular  disc,  with  punched  holes  round  the 
outer  circumference,  and  a  drop  ring  handle.  Ripon 
Cathedral  possesses  also  some  very  good  hinges  on 
the  south  door  of  the  choir,  which  may  be  twelfth 
century,  but  if  not,  are  certainly  thirteenth  century, 
and  they  have  no  back  straps. 

Eaton  Bray  Church  presents,  on  the  south  door,  a 
very  fine  specimen  of  early  metal-work.  Here  the 
door  is  again  covered  with  the  scrolls  diverging  from 
three  strap  hinges  reaching  quite  across  the  door, 
the  apex  of  the  arched  head  being  also  filled  with 
scroll  work  ;  portions  of  the  bands  are  also  orna- 
mented with  engraved  work  ;  the  leaves  and  rosettes 
are  punched.  The  ring  and  plate  are  perfect.  This 
specimen  is  in  a  very  good  state  of  preservation,  only 
some  of  the  scrolls  at  the  bottom  being  imperfect. 
In  the  same  church  is  another  hinge  of  more  simple 
character,  but  of  a  very  quaint  design,  and  possessing 
the  peculiarity  of  being  alike  on  both  the  inner  and 
outer  sides  of  the  door.  In  the  Cathedral  Close  at 
Norwich  there  are  the  remains  of  a  beautiful  specimen 
of  iron  work  covering  one  of  the  doors,  but  it  is  in  a 
sadly  mutilated  condition,  the  upper  hinge  being  the 
only  one  perfect;  this  has  an  outer  iron  band  following 
the  outline  of  the  door,  though  only  one  portion  re- 
mains, and  between  the  two  hinges  is  a  horizontal  bar 
starting  from  a  central  raised  boss  from  which  hangs 
the  handle,  the  ends  of  the  bar  being  floriated. 

The  examples  enumerated  here   are  only   a  few 


XXIV  INTRODUCTION.    ' 

among  many,  a  detailed  description  becoming  monoto- 
nous, for  they  all  more  or  less  follow  one  general  ar- 
rangement. The  French  examples  differ  slightly  in 
treatment,  but  there  the  strap  is  rather  broader  and 
does  not  branch  out  into  scrolls  until  it  reaches 
more  than  half  across  the  door;  the  scrolls  are  shorter 
and  the  foliage  richer  than  in  the  English  examples, 
and  the  scrolls  do  not  bear  the  same  proportion  to 
the  strap.  A  very  good  hinge  is  still  to  be  seen  on 
the  north  door  of  Rouen  Cathedral,  Fortes  de  Cal- 
endriers,  and  at  Noyon  Cathedral,  on  the  door  of  the 
staircase  leading  to  the  treasury.  But  hinges  were 
not  the  only  things  upon  which  the  smith  of  the  Mid- 
dle Ages  exerted  his  skill  and  ingenuity.  The  grilles 
which  protected  the  tombs  in  the  interior  of  churches 
and  the  opening  in  screens  demanded  alike  the  exer- 
cise of  both,  and  at  Westminster  Abbey  there  is  still 
preserved  and  replaced  in  situ,  after  having  been  for 
many  years  thrown  by  on  one  side  among  useless 
lumber,  a  specimen  which  any  age  or  any  clime  might 
justly  be  proud  of.  Around  the  shrine  of  Edward 
the  Confessor  repose  many  of  his  successors,  and  this 
chapel  and  shrine  was  exceedingly  rich  in  costly  gifts, 
silver,  gold  and  jewels  being  there  in  great  abun 
dance.  Originally  the  only  entrance  to  the  chapel 
was  through  the  doors  in  the  screen  forming  the 
reredos  of  the  high  altar,  and  though  considerably 
elevated  above  the  level  of  the  pavement  of  the 
surrounding  aisle,  it  was  not  sufficiently  secure  to 


INTRODUCTION.  XXV 

protect  its  precious  contents,  and  there  must  have 
been  some  screen  or  railing.  At  the  close  of  the 
thirteenth  century  the  only  royal  tomb  besides  that 
of  the  royal  founder,  Henry  III.,  was  that  of  his 
daughter-in-law,  Eleanor  of  Castile.  Henry's  tomb 
was  of  a  good  height,  but  Eleanor's  was  not  so  lofty, 
and  there  was  the  dread  of  the  robbers  making  free 
with  the  offerings  to  the  shrine,  as  they  had  done 
only  a  short  time  previously  with  the  treasure  which 
the  king  had  amassed  for  his  Scotch  wars,  and  which 
was  stolen  from  the  treasury  in  the  cloisters  hard  by. 
A  grille  of  beautiful  workmanship  was  accordingly 
placed  on  the  north  side  of  the  tomb  toward  the  aisle, 
the  top  of  the  grille  being  finished  with  a  formidable 
row  of  spikes,  or  "chevaux  de  frise,"  as  we  now  term 
them,  completely  guarding  the  chapel  on  that  side. 
The  framework  of  forged  bars  projects  from  the 
tomb  in  a  curve,  and  on  the  front  of  these  bars  is 
riveted  some  exquisite  scrollwork.  It  is  difficult  to 
describe  in  detail  this  art  treasure — a  photograph 
only  could  do  it  justice;  the  wonderful  energy  and 
beauty  and  minute  variety  thrown  into  the  little 
heads  of  animals,  which  hold  the  transverse  bars  in 
their  mouths,and  the  beauty  of  the  leaves  and  rosettes, 
scarcely  two  of  which  are  alike,  ate  things  which 
must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  On  the  score 
of  anything  very  beautiful  attributed  to  foreigners, 
this  iron  work,  like  the  beautiful  effigy  of  the  queen 
whose  tomb  it  guards,  has  been  attributed  to  French 


XXVI  INTRODUCTION. 

or  Italian  influence  ;  and  the  English  Torell,  who 
molded  and  cast  the  bronze  effigy,  has  been  Italian- 
ized into  Torelli,  a  name  which  he  never  bore  in  his 
lifetime.  With  regard  to  its  being  French,  France 
has  now  nothing  existing  resembling  it  in  the  slight- 
est degree  ;  while  the  work  in  the  cloister  at  St. 
George's  Chapel,  Windsor,  before  referred  to,  does 
resemble  it  slightly  in  some  points.  A  very  beauti- 
ful grille  exists  at  Canterbury  Cathedral,  screening 
St.  Anselm's  Chapel  from  the  south  aisle  and  the 
tomb  -of  Archbishop  Meopham.  This  grille  does  re- 
mind one  of  Italian  or  foreign  work,  but  there  is 
every  reason  to  believe  it  to  be  English  ;  its  great 
characteristic  is  its  extreme  lightness,  for  it  is  formed 
of  a  series  of  double  scrolls,  only  y2  inch  wide  by  y% 
inch  in  thickness,  7^  in.  high  and  3^  in.  broad, 
placed  back  to  back  and  fastened  together  and  to 
the  continuous  scrolls  by  small  fillets  or  ribands  of 
iron  wound  round  ;  these  being  fixed  into  iron  frames, 
6  ft.  6  in.  high  by  about  2  ft.  10  in.  broad.  This  ex- 
treme lightness  makes  it  resemble  the  foreign  ex- 
amples. ^ 

THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  GREAT  LONDON  FIRE  ON  THE  ART. 

There  is  one 'particular  phase  of  the  smith's  art  in 
England  which  deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice. 
The  great  impetus  given  to  the  industrial  arts  by  the 
universal  re-building  after  the  great  fire  of  London 
exercised  a  considerable  influence  on  the  art  of  the 


INTRODUCTION.  XXV11 

smith,  and  there  is  the  peculiarity  attaching  to  the 
revival  that  the  productions  are  essentially  English 
and  are  unlike  the  contemporary  work  on  the  Conti- 
nent, preserving  an  individuality  perfectly  marked 
and  distinct.  One  might  almost  call  it  a  "school" 
and  it  lasted  for  nearly  a  hundred  years. 

St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  which  was  commenced  in 
1675  and  the  choir  so  far  completed  that  it  was 
opened  for  service  in  1697,  possesses  some  of  the 
finest  specimens  of  this  date  in  the  grilles  and  gates 
inclosing  the  choir,  and  although  one  is  bound  to 
confess  that  it  was  to  a  foreign  and  not  to  a  native 
artist  that  these  are  due,  yet  in  many  particulars  they 
resemble  genuine  English  work.  One  has  but  to 
compare  these  gates  with  others  of  the  same  date  in 
France  to  directly  see  the  immense  difference  be- 
tween them,  as  in  the  inclosures  of  the  choir  of  the 
Abbey  church  of  St.  Ouen,  at  Rouen,  and  at  the 
cathedral  at  Amiens  The  artist's  name  was  Tijau 
or  Tijou,  for  the  orthography  is  doubtful.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  large  gates,  the  original  positions  of 
which  have  been  altered  since  the  rearrangement  of 
the  cathedral,  there  are  several  smaller  grilles  in 
some  of  the  openings  and  escutcheons  to  some  of 
the  internal  gates  with  the  arms  of  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  very  beautifully  worked  into  the  design. 
The  whole  of  the  ironwork  at  St.  Paul's  deserves  a 
close  inspection.  The  outer  railings,  which  are  part- 


XXV111  INTRODUCTION. 

ly  cast,  are  of  Sussex  iron  and  were  made  at   Lam- 
berhurst. 

Most  of  the  city  churches  have  very  good  iron- 
work, especially  in  the  sword  rests  and  communion 
rails,  some  of  the  finest  of  the  former  being  at  All- 
hallows  Barking,  St.  Andrew  Undershaft,  and  St. 
Mary  at  Hill,  and  the  latter  at  St.  Mary,  Woolmoth. 
The  altars  of  some  of  these  city  churches  are 
marble  slabs  supported  on  a  frame  of  wrought  iron- 
work. In  the  church  of  St.  Michael,  Queenhythe, 
now  destroyed,  there  was  a  very  curious  iron  bracket, 
with  pulley  and  chain  for  the  font  cover,  and  some 
wrought-iron  hat  rails.  Though  the  hinges  and  locks 
of  these  churches  are  not  remarkable,  many  of  the 
vanes  are  curious.  St.  Lawrence  Jewry  has  a  grid- 
iron in  allusion  to  the  martyrdom  of  the  saint.  St. 
Mildred,  Poultry,  and  St.  Michael,  Queenhythe,  both 
destroyed,  bore  ships  in  full  sail ;  St.  Peter's,  Corn- 
hill,  the  cross  keys  ;  St.  Mary-le-Bone  has  a  flying 
dragon  ;  and  St.  Antholin,  Budge  Row,  had  a  very 
fine  vane  surmounted  by  a  crown.  The  destruction 
of  this  church  and  spire,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
the  city,  will  ever  be  a  lasting  disgrace  to  those  who 
brought  it  about.  In  the  church  of  St.  Dionis  Back- 
church,  at  the  west  end,  supporting  the  organ  gallery, 
stood  square  columns  of  open  work  of  wrought  iron, 
and  with  very  nicely  wrought  caps,  but  the  church 
has  also  been  destroyed,  and  the  pillars  probably  sold 
for  old  iron.  Some  of  the  brass  chandeliers,  where 


INTRODUCTION.  XXIX 

they  had  not  been  made  away  with,  to  be  replaced 
by  gas  standards  or  brackets,  are  suspended  by  iron- 
work more  or  less  ornamented  and  gilded,  a  good 
specimen  having  existed  at  the  church  of  St.  Cathe- 
rine Cree,  and  there  is  still  one  remaining  at  St.  Sa- 
viour's, Southwark.  At  St.  Alban's,  Wood  street,  a 
curious  hour-glass  is  preserved  in  a  wrought-iron 
frame,  a  relic  of  Puritan  times  ;  and  though  hour- 
glasses and  their  stands  are  not  uncommon,  it  is  a 
comparative  rarity  when  found  in  a  church  of  the 
date  of  St.  Alban's,  Wood  street. 

The  smith  also  found  plenty  of  occupation  in  mak- 
ing railings  and  gates  for  public  bodies  and  for  pri- 
vate houses,  and  wrought-iron  handrails  to  staircases. 
One  of  the  most  beautiful  specimens  of  the  art  of  the 
seventeenth  century  is  to  be  seen  in  a  pair  of  gates 
at  the  end  of  a  passage  or  hall  in  the  building  occu- 
pied by  the  managers  and  trustees  of  the  Bridewell 
Hospital,  Bridge  street,  Blackfriars  ;  the  wrought 
leaves  and  scrolls  are  very  rich,  being  designed  for 
internal  work,  and  date  from  very  soon  after  the  fire 
of  London. 

The  honorable  and  learned  societies  of  Gray's  Inn, 
and  the  Inner  Temple  have  fine  scroll  entrance-gates 
to  their  respective  gardens,  and  scattered  about  in 
the  suburbs  at  Clapham,  Chelsea,  Fulham,  Stoke 
Newington,  Stratford-by-Bow  and  Hampstead  are 
fine  entrance  gates,  whose  designs  are  doubtless  very 
familiar,  since  there  is  scarcely  an  old  brick  mansion 


XXX  INTRODUCTION. 

with  red-tiled  roof  and  dormer  windows  and  walled 
garden  that  does  not  possess  them.  There  is  con- 
siderable beauty  about  these  gates  ;  notably  in  the 
way  in  which  the  upright  standards  are  a!ternated 
with  panels  of  scroll-work,  and  the  upper  part  en- 
riched with  scrolls  and  leaves  and  the  initials  of  the 
owner  or  his  arms  worked  in,  some  of  this  work  in- 
deed being  very  delicate  and  refined,  especially  with 
regard  to  the  foliage.  But  the  chief  glory  of  the 
English  school  of  this  date  is  the  wonderful  work  upon 
the  gates,  now  preserved  at  Kensington  Museum, 
formerly  adorning  the  gardens  at  Hampton  Court 
Palace,  and  the  work  of  Huntingdon  Shaw.  These 
are  far  superior  to  the  gates  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral, 
for  the  latter  are  a  little  too  architectural  in  their 
treatment,  Corinthian  pilasters  being  freely  intro- 
duced, while  these  Hampton  Court  ones  are  free 
from  any  approach  to  architectural  forms  in  iron  and 
rely  for  effect  solely  upon  the  bold  curves  and  sweeps 
of  the  scrolls,  the  richness  of  the  acanthus-like  foli- 
age and  the  delicacy  of  the  center  medallions.  The 
wreaths,  which  are  suspended  from  the  top,  are  won- 
derfully modeled,  some  of  the  flowers  introduced 
being  almost  as  delicate  as  the  natural  ones  they 
represent,  or  rather  reproduce  in  iron  ;  one 
medallion  in  particular,  being  truly  exquisite.  At 
the  top  of  each  of  the  gates  are  some  fine  masks,  in 
some  cases  surrounded  by  foliage,  and  each  gate 
is  different  -in  design,  although  they  resemble  one 


INTRODUCTION.  XXXI 

another  in  general  form.  South  Kensington  Mu- 
seum possesses  six  of  these  gates — one  with  a  rose, 
another  with  the  rose  of  England  surrounded  by 
small  buds  and  leaves,  a  thistle  ;  this  last  one  is  su- 
perbly modeled,  the  peculiarity  and  bend  of  the  leaf 
being  accurately  rendered.  Another  has  the  harp 
of  Ireland,  but  with  strings  rent  and  broken,  emblem- 
atic of  the  present  state  of  that  unhappy  country ; 
and  three  have  the  initials  of  William  of  Orange  and 
Mary  Stuart.  If  William's  name  in  these  days  may 
not  be  quite  so  popular  as  it  once  was,  and  if  he  did 
but  little  for  the  country  over  which  he  was  called 
to  govern  by  a  dominant  party,  at  least  he  was  the 
means  of  calling  into  existence  these  exquisite  works 
of  art,  which  hold  their  own  against  any  foreign  pro- 
duction, and  place  the  smith,  Huntingdon  Shaw, 
foremost  among  those  who,  working  with  stalwart 
arm,  with  anvil  and  hammer,  were  able  to  throw  life 
and  energy  into  the  dull  mass  of  metal  before  them. 
In  the  staircase  of  a  house  in  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields, 
at  No.  35,  there  is  a  wonderful  specimen  of  awrought- 
iron  staircase.  At  present  this  wrought  work  termi- 
nates at  the  first  floor,  but  there  is  evidence  of  it  hav- 
ing been  continued  to  the  second  floor,  a  panel  hav 
ing  been  once  sold  at  Christy's  for  ^40  which  pur- 
ported to  have  come  from  No.  35  Lincoln's  Inn 
Fields,  and  had  been  removed  in  consequence  of  ex- 
tensive alterations  in  the  interior.  Thrj^il  in  £nm 
posed  of  separate  standards,  with 


XXX11  INTRODUCTION. 

until  it  reaches  the  landing,  which  sweeps  round  a 
circular  well-hole  ;  round  this  the  standards  cease, 
and  are  replaced  by  an  extraordinarily  fine  panel,  in 
which  one  can  recognize  the  same  hand  as  in  Hamp- 
ton Court  gates.  There  is  the  same  wonderfully 
modeled  mask  with  foliage  proceeding  from  it,  the 
same  sort  of  wreath  depending  in  advance  of  the 
other  work,  the  rich  acanthus  foliage  partly  masking 
the  boldly  designed  scrolls  beneath,  betraying  the 
hand  of  Huntingdon  Shaw  or  his  school.  The  date 
would  also  fit,  for  this  house  and  the  next  are  tradi- 
tionally supposed  to  have  been  designed  by  Christo- 
pher Wren  for  the  Solicitor  and  Attorney-Generals 
about  1695-96,  the  date  of  the  Hampton  Court  work. 
The  center  oval  medallion  of  this  panel  has  unfortu- 
nately gone,  and  is  replaced  by  some  initials  in  cast 
iron  ;  but  it  probably  contained  some  of  those  beauti- 
fully modeled  bunches  of  flowers  which  appear  on 
the  Hampton  Court  gates. 


T 


PRACTICAL  BLACKSMITHING. 


CHAPTER    I. 
ANCIENT    AND    MODERN    HAMMERS. 

A  trite  proverb  and  one  quite  frequently  quoted 
in  modern  mechanical  literature  is,  "  By  the 
hammer  and  hand  all  the  arts  do  stand."  These 
few  words  sum  up  a  great  deal  of  informa- 


ELKVATION.  SECTION. 

FIG.    1— A  TAPPING  HAMMER   OF  STONE. 

tion  concerning  elementary  mechanics.  If  we 
examine  some  of  the  more  elaborate  arts  of  modern 
times,  or  give  attention  to  pursuits  in  which  com- 
plicated mechanism  is  employed,  we  may  at  first  .be 
impressed  that  however  correct  this  expression  may 


BLACKSMITHING. 


have  been  in  the  past,  it  is  not  applicable  to  the 
present  day.  But  if  we  pursue  our  investigations 
far  enough,  and  trace  the  progress  of  the  industry 
under* consideration,  whatever  may  be  its  nature 


•END   ELEVATION. 


SIDE    ELEVATION. 


SECTION. 

FIG.   2— PERFORATED    HAMMER   HEAD   OF  STONE. 

back  to  its  origin,  we  find  sooner  or  later  that  both 
hammer  and  hand  have  had  everything  to  do  with 
establishing  and  maintaining  it.  If  we  investigate 
textile  fabrics,  for  instance,  we  find  they  are  the 


BLACKSMITHING.  3 

products  of  looms.  In  the  construction  of  the 
looms  the  hammer  was  used  to  a  certain  extent, 
but  back  of  them  there  were  other  machines  of 
varying  degrees  of  excellence,  in  which  the  hammer 
played  a  still  more  important  part,  until  finally  we 
reach  a  point  where  the  hammer  and  hand  laid  the 
very  foundation  of  the  industry.  It  would  be 
necessary  to  go  back  to  this  point  in  order  to  start 
anew  in  case  by  some  unaccountable  means  our 
present  equipment  of  machinery  should  be  blotted 
out  of  existence.  The  wonderful  mechanism  of 
modern  shoe  factories,  for  another  example,  has 
superseded  the  cobbler's  hammer,  but  on  the  other 
hand  the  hammer  and  hand  by  slow  degrees  through 
various  stages  produced  the  machinery  upon  which 
we  at  present  depend  for  our  footwear.  And  so 
it  is  in  whatever  direction  we  turn.  The v  hammer 
in  the  hands  of  man  is  discovered  to  be  at  the 
bottom  of  all  the  arts  and  trades,  if  we  but  go  back 
far  enough  in  our  investigation.  From  an  inquiry  of 
this  kind  the  dignity  and  importance  of  the  smith's 
art  is  at  once  apparent.  While  others  besides  him 
use  hammers,  it  is  to  the  smith  that  they  all  must 
go  for  their  hammers.  The  smith,  among  all 
mechanics,  enjoys  the  distinction  of  producing  his 
own  tools.  A  consideration  of  hammers,  therefore, 
both  ancient  and  modern,  becomes  a  matter  of 
special  interest  to  blacksmiths  of  the  present  day 
well  as'  to  artisans  generally. 


. 


4  BLACKSMTTHING. 

The  prototype  of  the  hammer  is  found  in  the 
clinched  fist,  a  tool  or  weapon,  as  determined  by 
circumstances  and  conditions,  that  man  early, 
learned  to  use,  and  which  through  all  the  genera- 
tions he  has  found  extremely  useful.  The  fist,  con- 
sidered as  a  hammer,  is  one  of  the  three  tools  for 
external  use  with  which  man  is  provided  by 
nature,  the  other  two  being  a  compound  vise,  and  a 
scratching  or  scraping  tool,  both  of  which  are  also 
in  the  hand.  From  using  the  hand4  as  a  hammer 
our  early  inventors  must  have  aerived  the  idea  of 
artificial  hammers,  tools  which  should  be  serviceable 
where  the  fist  was  insufficient.  From  noting  the 
action  of  the  muscles  of  the  hand  the  first  idea  of  a 
vise  must  have  been  obtained,  while  by  similar 
reasoning  all  our  scraping  and  scratching  tools,  our 
planes  and  files,  our  rasps,  and,  perhaps,  also  some  of 
our  edged  tools,  were  first  suggested  by  the  finger 
nails.  Upon  a  substance  softer  than  itself  the  fist 
can  deal  an  appreciable  blow,  but  upon  a  substance 
harder  than  itself  the  reaction  transfers  the  blow  to 
the  flesh  and  the  blood  of  nature's  hammer,  much 
to  the  discomfort  of  the  one  using  it.  After  a  few 
experiments  of  this  kind,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  the  primitive  man  conceived  the  idea  of  rein- 
forcing the  hand  by  some  hard  substance.  At  the 
outset  he  probably  grasped  a  rounded  stone,  and 
this  made  quite  a  serviceable  tool  for  the  limited 
purposes  of  the  time.  His  arm  became  the  handle, 


BLACKSMITHING.  5 

while  his  fingers  were  the  means  of  attaching  the 
hammer  to  the  handle.  Among  the  relics  of  the 
past,  coming  from  ages  of  which  there  is  no  written 
history,  and  in  time  long  preceding  the  known  use 
of  metals,  are  certain  rounded  stones,  shaped,  it  is 
supposed,  by  the  action  of  the  water,  and  of  such  a 
form  as  to  fit  the  hand.  These  stones  are  known 
to  antiquarians  by  the  name  of  "  mauls,"  and  were, 
undoubtedly,  the  hammers  of  our  prehistoric  ances- 
tors. Certain  variations  in  this  form  of  hammer 
are  also  found.  For  that  tapping  action  which  in 
our  minor  wants  is  often  more  requisite  than  blows, 
a  stone  specially  prepared  for  this  somewhat  deli- 
cate operation  was  employed,  an  illustration  of 
which  is  shown  in  Fig.  i.  A  stone  of  this  kind 
would,  of  course,  be  much  lighter  than  the  "  maul  " 
already  described.  The  tapping  hammer,  a  name 
appropriate  to  the  device,  was  held  between  the 
finger  and  the  thumb,  the  cavities  at  the  sides  being 
for  the  convenience  of  holding  it.  The  original 
from  which  the  engraving  was  made  bears  evidence 
of  use,  and  shows  traces  of  having  been  employed 
against  a  sharp  surface. 

The  "  maul  "  could  not  have  been  a  very  satisfac- 
tory tool  even  for  the  work  it  was  specially  calcu- 
lated to  perform,  and  the  desire  for  something 
better  must  have  been  early  felt.  To  hold  a  stone 
in  the  hollow  of  the  hand  and  to  strike  an  object 
with  it  so  that  the  reaction  of  the  blow  should  be 


O  BLACKSMITHING. 

mainly  met  by  the  muscular  reaction  of  the  back  of 
the  hand  and  the  thinnest  section  of  the  wrist  is 
not  only  fatiguing,  but  is  liable  to  injure  the  delicate 
network  of  muscles  found  in  these  parts.  It  may  have 
been  from  considerations  of  this  sort  that  the 
double-ended  mauls  also  found  in  the  stone  age 
were  devised.  These  were  held  by  the  hand  grasp- 
ing the  middle  of  the  tool,  and  were  undoubtedly  a 
great  improvement  over  the  round  mauls.  Experi- 
ence, however,  soon  suggested  that  in  even  this 
form  there  was  much  wanting.  It  still  lacked 
energy  to  overcome  reactions,  the  office  which  th*e 
wooden  handle  so  successfully  performs.  Experi- 
ments were,  therefore,  early  made  in  the  direction  of 
a  more  suitable  handle  than  the  unassisted  arm  and 
of  a  proper  connection  between  the  hammer  and 
the  handle.  The  first  attempts  were  doubtless  in 
the  use  of  withes,  by  which  handles  were  attached 
to  such  of  the  double-ended  mauls  as  may  have 
seemed  suitable  for  the  purpose.  This  means  of 
fastening  the  handle  is  seen  to  the  present  day 
among  half-civilized  nations,  and  in  some  cases  is 
even  practised  by  blacksmiths  to  whom  are  avail- 
able other  and  more  modern  means.  Evidences  of 
a  still  further  advance  are,  however,  found  at  almost 
the  same  period,  for  in  the  geological  records  of 
the  stone  age  are  met  double  mauls  with  holes 
through  their  centers  for  the  insertion  of  a  handle 
In  some  instances  these  holes  are  found  coned,  and 


BLACKSMITHING.  7 

are  almost  as  well  adapted  for  the  reception  of 
hammer  handles  as  the  best  tools  of  modern  times. 
An  illustration  of  one  of  these  primitive  tools  is 
presented  in  Fig.  2. 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  advance  toward 
a  perfect  hammer  in  the  earliest  periods  was  impor- 
tant as  well  as  rapid.  All  the  preliminary  experi- 
menting to  the  development  of  a  perfect  tool  was 
done  by  men  who  lived  and  worked  before  history 
commenced  to  be  written.  What  remained  to  be 
done  by  the  fraternity  was  entirely  in  the  direction 
of  more  suitable  material,  and  in  the  adaptation  of 
form  to  meet  special  requirements.  While  princi- 
ples were  thus  clearly  established  at  an  early  day, 
very  slow  progress  seems  to  have  been  made  in 
applying  them  and  in  perfecting  the  hammer  of  the 
modern  artisan.  Between  the  "  maul  "  of  the  sav- 
age of  the  stone  age  and  a  "  Maydole  "  hammer, 
what  a  gulf!  From  the  "tapping  hammer"  of 
stone,  illustrated  in  Fig.  i,  to  a  jeweler's  hammer  of 
the  present  day,  what  a  change  !  Between  the 
double-faced  perforated  stone  hammer,  shown  in 
Fig.  2,  and  the  power  forging  hammers  of  modern 
practice,  what  a  series  of  experiments,  what  a  record 
of  progress,  what  a  host  of  inventors  !  In  whatever 
direction  we  turn  and  from  whatever  standpoint  we 
view  the  hammer  there  are  clustered  around  it  facts 
and  legends,  historical  notes  and  mechanical  princi- 
ples, to  the  consideration  of  some  of  which  a  portion 
of  our  space  may  be  well  devoted. 


8  BLACKSMITHING. 

To  trace  the  origin  of  the  hammer,  commencing 
with  its  prototype,  the  human  fist,  and  advancing 
step  by  step  through  the  stone  age,  where  fragments 
of  rocks  were  made  to  do  roughly  the  work  that  better 
tools  afterwards  performed,  and  so  down  the  ages  until 
the  finished  hammer  of  the  present  day  is  reached, 
would  read  like  a  romance.  Like  a  pleasing  story 
it  would,  perhaps,  be  of  very  little  practical  value, 
however  entertaining  the  narrative  might  be,  and, 
therefore,  we  shall  not  follow  the  development  of 
the  hammer  too  minutely.  We  desire  to  interest 
our  readers,  but  we  also  hope  to  do  more  than 
simply  amuse  them. 

The  hammer  has  been  justly  called  the  king 
of  tools.  It  has  been  sung  by  poets,  and  made 
the  central  figure  of  graphic  scenes  by  some 
of  the  world's  most  noted  writers.  Sir  Walter  Scott 
has  turned  it  to  good  account  in  some  of  his  stories. 
The  poet  of  modern  history,  however,  is  yet  to 
come  ;  but  when  his  day  appears  there  will  be  much 
of  suggestive  incident  from  which  he  can  fashion  his 
song.  Some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  delicate 
works  that  has  ever  been  produced  by  the  hand  of  man 
has  been  wrought  by  the  hammer,  and  the  skillful 
hammerman  is  well  worthy  of  admiration.  The 
fabled  hammer  of  Thor  is  scarcely  an  exaggeration  of 
the  giant  tools  in  actual  use  to-day  in  scores  of  iron 
works,  and  it  would  appear  that  the  mythology  makers 
of  ancient  times  really  saw  visions  of  the  coming  ages, 


BLACKSMITHING.  9 

when   they  wove   the  wonderful   stories  that  were  a 
part  of  the  religion  of  our  ancestors. 

We  are  very  apt  to  look  upon  the  hammer  as  a 
rude  instrument.  We  overlook  the  scientific  princi- 
ples involved  in  its  construction  and  use,  and  pay  too 
little  attention  to  the  materials  of  which  it  is  fash- 
ioned and  the  forms  in  which  it  is  made.  We  fre- 
quently look  upon  it  merely  as  an  adjunct  to  other 
tools,  and  forget  that  it  is  entitled  to  consideration 
as  a  sole  independent  and  final  tool.  In  some 
handicrafts,  and  these,  too,  involving  a  high  class  of 
finished  work — the  hammer  is  the  only  tool  em- 
ployed. That  great  artistic  skill  in  the  use  of  the 
hammer  as  a  finishing  tool  can  be  acquired  is  mani- 
fest from  the  many  beautiful  specimens  of  rdpousst 
work  to  be  seen  in  silversmiths'  shops.  The  details 
of  the  ornamentation  are  not  only  minute,  but  they 
so  harmonize  as  to  give  elegance  and  expression  to 
the  whole,  exclusive  of  the  form  of  the  articles  them- 
selves. A  glance  into  the  art  stores  in  any  of  the 
cities  will  reveal  specimens  of  hammered  work  of 
this  sort,  or  of  duplications  of  them,  made  by  electro- 
plating or  by  stamping  with  dies.  The  excellence, 
and,  consequently,  the  value  of  these  copies  depends 
upon  the  closeness  of  imitation  to  the  original  ;  and 
as  they  are  for  the  most  part  very  clever  specimens 
in  this  particular,  they  serve  as  illustrations  in  point 
almost  as  well  as  the  originals.  Those  of  our  readers 
who  are  interested  in  the  capabilities  and  possibili- 


10  BLACKSMITHING. 

ties  of  the  hammer  will  be  interested  in  an  examina- 
nation  of  some  of  these  pieces  of  work.  They  are 
mostly  of  brass  and  copper,  and  in  both  originals 
and  copies  the  tool  marks  are  faithfully  preserved. 
The  esteem  in  which  they  are  held  may  be  judged 
from  the  statement  that  a  piece  of  work  of  this  kind 
about  half  the  size  of  one  of  these  pages  sometimes 
fetches  as  much  as  $25,  while  shields  of  a  larger 
size  frequently  sell  for  three  and  four  times  this 
sum.  Choice  originals  are  cherished  in  museums 
and  are  beyond  the  reach  of  money  to  buy.  Other 
examples  of  hammer  work  might  be  mentioned,  for 
example,  the  ancient  wrought-iron  gates,  hinges  and 
panels,  representations  of  which  are  frequently  met 
in  art  books.  The  suits  of  mail,  and  choice  armor, 
most  of  which  the  ancient  warriors  were  wont  to 
clothe  themselves  in,  are  also  examples  in  point. 
As  marvelous  as  these  examples  of  ancient  work 
may  seem,  we  think  there  are  modern  applications 
of  the  hammer  that  are  quite  a§  wonderful. 

THE    HAMMER.* 

#  #  #  ,  The  hammer  is  generally  known  as  a 
rude  instrument,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  is  in  some 
of  its  uses  a  very  refined  one,  requiring  great  care 
and  skill  in  its  use.  *  *  * 

Time  forbids  that  I  should  refer  to  more  than  a 
few  prominent  forms  of  hammers.  The  carpenter's 

*[From  a  lecture  delivered  before  the  Franklin  Institute,  by  Joshua  Rose,  M.  E.,  Phila- 
delphia.] 


BLACKSMITHING. 


I  I 


mallet  has  a  large  rectangular  head,  because,  as  his 
tools  are  held  in  wooden  handles,  he  must  not  use  a 
hard  substance  to  drive  them  with,  or  he  will  split 
the  handles.  Wood  being  light,  he  must  have  a 
large  head  to  the  mallet  in  order  to  give  it  weight 
enough. 

THE  STONE-MASON'S  MALLET. 
The  stone-mason   uses  a  wooden   mallet,  because 


FIG.    3-AN  ILLUSTRATION  OF  THE   PROCESS   OF   STRETCHING  WITH 

THE   HAMMER. 

it  delivers  just  the  kind  of  dull  blow  that  is  required. 
His  mallet  head  is  made  circular,  because  his  tools 
are  steel,  and  have  no  wooden  handles,  and  he  is 
able  to  use  the  whole  circumference,  and  thus 
vent  the  tools  from  wearing  holes  in  the 


Kt 


«^- 


12  BLACKSMITHING. 

mallet  face.  The  handles  of  both  these  mallets  are 
short,  because  they  will  strike  a  sufficiently  powerful 
blow  without  being  used  at  a  great  leverage.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  stone-breaker's  hammers  have 
long  handles,  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  stooping. 
The  pattern-maker's  hammer  is  long  and  slender ; 
long,  that  it  may  reach  down  into  recesses  and  cavi- 
ties in  the  work,  and  slender,  because,  being  long,  it  has 
weight  enough  without  being  stout.  Now,  take  the 
blacksmith's  sledge,  and  we  find  the  handle  nearer  to 
the  pene,  or  narrow  end,  than  it  is  to  the  broad-faced 
end,  while  the  pavior's  sledge  has  the  handle  in  the 
middle  of  its  length.  If  we  seek  the  reason  for 
these  differences,  it  will  readily  occur  to  us  that  the 
blacksmith's  helper  or  striker  delivers  most  of  his 
blows  in  a  vertical  direction,  and  uses  mainly  the 
face  and  not  the  pene  of  the  hammer,  and  by  hav- 
ing the  eye,  and  therefore  the  handle,  nearest  to 
the  pene  end,  the  face  end  naturally  hangs  down- 
ward, because,  as  held  by  the  handle,  the  face  end  is 
the  heaviest,  and,  as  a  result,  he  needs  to  make  but 
little,  if  any  effort,  to  keep  the  face  downward.  The 
pavior's  work,  however,  lies  near  the  ground,  and  he 
uses  both  faces,  his  hammer  not  requiring  a  pene. 
Hence  the  handle  is  placed  central,  balancing  both 
faces  equally. 

THE  MACHINIST'S  HAMMER. 

The  machinist's  hammer  is  also  made  heavier  on  the 
face  than  on  the  pene  end-,  so  that  the  face  which  he 


BLACKSMITHING.  13 

• 

uses  the  most  will  hang  downward  without  any 
special  effort  to  keep  it  so.  His  chipping  hammer, 
which  he  also  uses  for  general  purposes,  weighs  in 
the  heaviest  kinds  i^  pounds,  and  the  handle  should 
be  15  inches  long.  He  wields  it  for  heavy  chipping, 
with  all.  the  force  he  can  command,  obeying  the  law 
that  it  is  velocity  rather  than  weight  that  gives  pene- 
tration. '1  hus,  supposing  a  hammer  weighing  100 
pounds  is  traveling  at  a  velocity  of  ten  feet  per 
second,  and  the  power  stored  up  in  it  is  1,000  foot- 
pounds. Another  hammer,  weighing  one  pound  and 
traveling  1,000  feet  per  second,  would  also  have 
stored  up  in  it  1,000  foot-pounds.  Hence  the  power 
is  equal  in  the  two,  but  the  effects  of  their  blows 
would  be  quite  different.  If  they  both  struck  a  block 
of  iron  we  should  find  that  the  effects  of  the 
quick  moving  hammer  would  sink  deeper,  but  would 
spread  out  less  sidewise,  giving  it  a  penetrating 
quality  ;  while  the  slow-moving  one  would  affect  the 
iron  over  a  wider  area  and  sink  less  deeply.  To  cite 
an  important  operation  in  which  this  principle  must 
be  recognized  :  Suppose  we  have  a  wheel  upon  a 
shaft,  and  that  the  key  is  firmly  locked  between  the 
two.  In  driving  it  out  we  know  that,  if  we  take  a 
heavy  hammer  and  strike  slow,  moving  blows  we 
shall  spread  the  end  of  the  key  riveting  it  up  and 
making  it  more  difficult  to  drive  out  ;  so  we  take 
a  hammer  having  less  weight  and  move  it  qificker. 


H  BLACKSMITHING. 

I 

USES    OF    THE    HAMMER. 

In  whatever  form  we  find  the  hammer,  it  is  used 
for  three  purposes  only,  namely,  to  crush,  to  drive 
and  to  stretch.  And  the  most  interesting  of  these 
operations  are  stretching  and  driving.  The  gold- 
beater, the  blacksmith,  the  sawmaker,  the  plate 
straightener  and  the  machinist,  as  well  as  many 
others,  employ  the  hammer  to  stretch  ;  while  the 
carpenter,  the  machinist,  and  others  too  numerous 
to  mention,  use  the  hammer  to  drive.  Among  the 
stretching  operations  there  are  many  quite  interest- 
ing ones.  Here  in  Fig.  3,  for  example,  is  a  piece  of 
iron,  two  inches  wide,  and  an  inch  thick,  bent  to  the 
shape  of  the  letter  u.  This  piece  of  wire  is,  you 
observe,  too  short  to  fit  between  the  jaws,  and  I  will 
now  bend  the  piece  and  close  the  jaws  by  simply 
hammering  the  outside  of  the  curved  end  with  a 
tack  hammer.  The  proof  that  the  blows  have  bent 
the  piece  is  evident,  because  the  piece  of  wire  now 
fits  tightly  instead  of  being  loose,  as  before  the 
hammering.  The  principle  involved  in  this  opera- 
tion is  that  the  blows  have  stretched  the  outer  sur- 
face, or  outside  curve,  making  it  longer  and  forcing 
the  jaws  together.  If  we  perform  a  similar  operation 
upon  a  straight  piece*  of  metal,  the  side  receiving 
the  blows  will  actually  rise  up,  becoming  convex 
and  making  the  other  side  concave,  giving  us  the 
seeming  anomaly  of  the  metal  moving  in  the  oppo- 
site direction  to  that  in  which  the  blows  tend  to 


BLACKSMITHING,  15 

force  it.  This  process  is  termed  pening,  because, 
usually,  the  pene  of  the  hammer  is  used  to  perform 
it.  It  is  sometimes  resorted  to  in  order  to  straighten 
the  frame-work  of  machines,  and  even  to  refit  work 
that  has  worn  loose. 

STRAIGHTENING    PLATES    AND    SAWS. 

Straightening  thin  metal  plates  and  saws  form 
very  interesting  examples  of  the  stretching  process, 
and  are  considered  very  skillful  operations.  Some 
few  years  ago  I  was  called  upon  to  explain  the  prin- 
ciples involved  in  this  kind  of  straightening,  and 
having  no  knowledge  of  the  subject,  I  visited  a  large 
saw  factory  to  inquire  about  it.  I  was  introduced 
to  one  of  the  most  skillful  workmen,  and  the  object 
of  my  visit  was  made  known  to  him.  He  informed 
me  that  it  was  purely  a  matter  of  skill,  and  that  it 
was  impossible  to  explain  it. 

"  I  will  show  you  how  it  is  done,"  said  he,  and 
taking  up  a  hand-saw  blade,  he  began  bending  it 
back  and  forth  with  his  hands,  placing  them  about 
eight  inches  apart' upon  the  blade. 

"  What  do  you  do  that  for?"   I  asked. 

"  To  find  out  where  it  is  bent,"  he  replied. 
*  #  *  *  * 

I  spent  two  hours  watching  this  man  and  question- 
ing him,  but  I  left  him  about  as  much  in  the  dark  as 
ever. 

Then  I  visited  a  large  safe-making  factory,  know- 


16  BLACKSMITHING. 

ing  that  the  plates  for  safes  required  to  be  very  nicely 
straightened.  The  foreman  seemed  very  willing  to 
help  me,  and  took  me  to  the  best  straightener  in  the 
shop,  who  duly  brought  a  plate  for  a  safe  door  and 
straightened  it  for  me.  Then  he  brought  another, 
and  as  soon  as  he  stood  it  on  edge  and  began  to 
sight  it  with  his  eye,  I  asked  him  why  he  did  that. 

"  Because  the  shadows  on  the  plate  disclose  the 
high  and  the  low  patches." 

"  In  what  way?"  I  asked. 

"  Well,  the  low  patches  throw  shadows,'*  he  re- 
plied, and  the  conversation  continued  about  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  When  you  have  thus  found  a  low  place,  what  do 
you  do  ?  " 

"  I  hammer  it  out." 

I  sighted  the  plate  and  made  a  chalk  mark  inclos- 
ing the  low  spot,  and  he  laid  the  plate  upon  the 
anvil  and  struck  it  several  blows. 

"  Why  did  you  strike  the  plate  in  that  particular 
spot  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Because  that  is  where  I  must  hit  it  to  straighten 
it." 

"  Who  told  you  that  this  particular  spot  was  the 
one  to  be  hammered  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  I  learned  some  years  ago." 

"  But  there  must  be  some  reason  in  selecting  that 
spot,  and  that  is  what  I  wanted  to  find  out." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  there  is  a  reason   for  it,  but  if  it 


BLACKSMITHING.  17 

had  been  a  different  kind  of  hollow  place  I  wouldn't 
have  hit  it  there  at  all." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  I  should  have  had  to  hit  it  somewhere 
else." 

And  so  it  went  on,  until  finally  I  got  some  pieces  of 
twisted  p[ate,  one  with  a  bulge  on  one  edge,  another 
with  a  bulge  in  the  middle,  and  he  straightened 
them  while  I  kept  up  my  questions.  But  still  the 
mystery  remained,  nor  did  I  seem  any  nearer  to  a 
solution  ;  so  I  abandoned  the  attempt. 

About  six  months  after  this  I  met  by  chance,  an 
Eastern  plate  straightener,  and  on  relating  this 
experience  to  him  he  offered  to  go  into  the  shop 
and  explain  the  matter. 

We  went,  and  taking  up  a  plate  one-eighth  inch 
thick,  two  feet  wide  and  four  long,  he  laid  one  end 
on  an  anvil  and  held  up  the  other  wjth  his  left  hand, 
while  with  his  right  hand  he  bent  or  rather  sprung 
the  plate  up  and  down,  remarking  as  he  did  so : 

"  Now  you  just  watch  the  middle  of  this  plate,  and 
you  will  see  as  I  swing  it  the  middle  moves  most, 
and  the  part  that  moves  most  is  a  loose  place.  The 
metal  round  about  it  is  too  short  and  is  under  too 
much  tension.  Now,  if  I  hammer  this  loose  place, 
I  shall  stretch  it  and  make  it  wide,  so  I  hammer  the 
places  round  about  it  that  move  the  least,  stretching 
them  so  that  they  will  pull  the  loose  place  out 
Now,  with  a  very  little  practice  you  could  take  out 


l8  BLACKSMITHING. 

a  loose  place  as  well  as  I  can,  but  when  it  comes  to 
a  thick  plate  the  case  is  more  difficult,  because  you 
cannot  bend  the  plate  to  find  the  tight  and  loose 
places,  so  you  stand  it  on  edge,  and  between  you  and 
the  window,  the  light  and  shades  show  the  high  and 
low  patches  just  as  a  landscape  shows  hills  and 
valleys." 

I  selected  several  examples  of  twisted  and  crooked 


FIG.  4 — THE  LONG  CROSS-FACE    HAMMER. 

plates  and  he  straightened  them  for  me,  explaining 
the  reasons  for  each  step  in  the  process,  and  as  this 
forms  one  of  the  most  interesting  operations  per- 
formed by  the  hammer,  I  may  as  well  speak  some- 
what in  detail  of  hammers,  the  way  they  are  used, 
and  the  considerations  governing  their  application  to 
the  work. 

Fig.   4  represents  what  is  called  the  long  cross- 


BLACKSMITHING.  IQ 

face  hammer,  used  for  the  first  part  of  the  process, 
which  is  called  the  smithing.  The  face  that  is 
parallel  to  the  handle  is  the  long  one,  and  the  other 
is  the  cross-face.  These  faces  are  at  a  right  angle 
one  to  the  other,  so  that  without  changing  his  posi- 
tion the  operator  may  strike  blows  that  will  be 
lengthways  in  one  direction,  as  at  A,  in  Fig.  5,  and 
by  turning  the  other  face  toward  the  work  he  may 
strike  a  second  series  standing  as  at  B.  Now,  sup- 
pose we  had  a  straight  plate  and  delivered  these 
two  "series  of  blows  upon  it,  and  it  is  bent  to  the 


m    M| 

KMS  Cf== 

ii     m 

Ml'tltiti i^= 


FIG.    5— SHOWING     HOW    THE    CROSS-FACE    HAMMER    OPERATES    IN 
TWO   DIRECTIONS. 

shape  shown  in  Fig.  6,  there  being  a  straight  wave 
at  A,  and  a  seam  all  across  the  pla.te  at,/?,  but 
rounded  in  its  length,  so  that  the  plate  will  be  high- 
est in  the  middle,  or  at  C.  If  we  turn  the  plate 
over  and  repeat  the  blows  against  the  same  places, 
it  will  become  flat  again. 

FORM    OF    HAMMER   FOR   STRAIGHTENING   SAWS. 

To  go  a  little  deeper  into  the  requirements  of  the 
shape  of  this  hammer,  for  straightening  saws^^^ 


2O  BLACKSMITHING. 

say  that -both  faces  are  made  alike,  being  rounded 
across  the  width  and  slightly  rounded  in  the  length, 
the  amount  of  this  rounding  in  either  direction  being 
important,  because  if  the  hammer  leaves  indenta- 
tions, or  what  are  technically  called  "chops,"  they  will 
appear  after  the  saw  has  been  ground  up,  even 
though  the  marks  themselves  are  ground  out,  be- 
cause in  the  grinding  the  hard  skin  of  the  plate  is 
removed,  and  it  goes  back  to  a  certain  and  minute 
extent  toward  its  original  shape.  This  it  will  do 
more  in  the  spaces  between  the  hammer  blows  than 
it  will  where  the  blows  actually  fell,  giving  the  sur- 
face a  slightly  waved  appearance. 


PIG.  6— ANOTHER   ILLUSTRATION   OF  THE  STRAIGHTENING 
PROCESS. 

The  amount  of  roundness  across  the  face  regu- 
lates the  widths,  and  the  amount  of  roundness  in 
the  face  length  regulates  the  length  of  the  hammer 
marks  under  any  given  force  of  blow.  As  the 
thicker  the  plate  the  more  forcible  the  blow,  there- 
fore the  larger  dimensions  of  the  hammer  mark.  .* 

*  *  This  long  cross-face  is  used  again  after  the 
saws  have  been  ground  up,  but  the  faces  are  made 


BLACKSMITHING.  21 

more  neaily  flat,  so  that  the  marks  will  not  sink 
so  deeply,  it  being  borne  in  mind,  however,  that 
in  no  case  must  they  form  distinct  indentations  or 
"  chops." 

In  Fig.  7  we  have  the  twist  hammer,  used  for  pre- 
cisely the  same  straightening  purposes  as  the  en  ss- 
face,  but  on  long  and  heavy  plates  and  for  the  fol- 
lowing reasons  : 

When   the  operator  is  straightening  a  short  saw 


FIG.  7-  THE  TWIST    HAMMER. 

he  can  stand  close  to  the  spot  he  is  hammering,  and 
the  arm  using  the  hammer  may  be  well  bent  at  the 
elbow,  which  enables  him  to  see  the  work  plainly, 
and  does  not  interfere  with  the  use  of  the  hammer, 
while  the  shape  of  the  smithing  hammer  enables 
him  to  bend  his  elbow  and  still  deliver  the  blows 
lengthways,  in  the  required  direction.  But  when  a 
long  and  heavy  plate  is  to  be  straightened,  the 


22  BLACKSMITHING. 

end  not  on  the  anvil  must  be  supported  with  the 
left  hand,  and  it  stands  so  far  away  from  the  anvil 
that  he  could  not  bend  his  elbow  and  still  reach  the 
anvil.  With  the  twist  hammer,  however,  he  can 
reach  his  arm  out  straight  forward  to  the  anvil, 
to  reach  the  work  there,  while  still  holding  up  the 
other  end,  which  he  could  not  do  if  his  elbow  was 
bent.  By  turning  the  twist  hammer  over  he  can 


FIG.  8 — THE   DOG-HEAD   HAMMER. 

vary  the  direction  of  the  blow,  the  same  as  with  the 
long  cross-face.     *     *     * 

Both  of  these  hammers  are  used  only  to  straighten 
the  plates,  and  not  to  regulate  their  tension,  for  you 
must  understand  that  a  plate  may  be  flat  and  still 
have  in  it  unequal  strains  ;  that  is  to  say,  there  may 
exist  in  different  locations  internal  strains  that  are  not 
strong  enough  to  bend  the  plate  out  of  truth,  as  it  is, 


BLACKSMITHING. 


but  which  will  tend  to  do  so  if  the  slightest  influence 
is  exerted  in  their  favor,  as  will  be  the  case  when 
the  saw  is  put  to  work.  When  a  plate  is*  in  this 
condition  it  is  said  to  have  unequal  tension,  and  it 
is  essential  to  its  proper  use  that  this  be  remedied. 
The  existence  of  unequal  tension  is  discovered  by 
bending  the  plate  with  the  hands,  as  has  been 
already  mentioned,  and  it  is  remedied  by  the  use  of 
the  dog-head  hammer,  shown  in  Fig.  8,  whose  face 


# 


FIG.  9 — SHOWING    THE    DIFFERENCE    IN    THE    EFFECTS    OF    TWIST 
AND   DOG-HEAD   HAMMER   BLOWS. 

is  rounded  so  that  the  effects  of  its  blow  will  extend 
equally  all  around  the  spot  struck.  It  will  readily  be 
understood  that  the  effects  of  the  blow  delivered 
by  the  smithing,  or  by  the  twist  hammer,  will  be 
distributed  as  in  Fig.  7,  at  A  B,  while  those  of  the 
dog-head  will  be  distributed  as  in  Fig.  9,  at  C,  gradu- 
ally diminishing  as  they  pass  outward  from  the 
spot  struck  ;  hence  the  dog-head  exerts  the  more 
equalizing  effect. 

USE    OF    THE    DOG-HEAD    HAMMER. 

Now,    while   the   dog-head   is    used    entirely   for 


24  BLACKSMITHING. 

regulating  the  tension,  it  may  also  be  used  for  the 
same  purposes  as  either  the  long  cross-face,  or  the 
twist  hammer,  because  the  smith  operates  to  equalize 
the  tension  at  the  same  time  that  he  is  taking  down 
the  lumps  ;  hence  he  changes  from  one  hammer  to 
the  other  in  an  instant,  and  if  after  regulating  the 
tension  with  the  dog-head  he  should  happen  to  re- 
quire to  do  some  smithing,  before  regulating  the  ten- 
sion in  another,  he  would  go  right  on  with  the  dog- 
head  and  do  the  intermediate  smithing  without 
changing  to  the  smithing  hammer.  Or,  in  some 
cases, 'he  may  use  the  long  cross-face  to  produce  a 
similar  effect  to  that  of  the  dog-head,  by  letting  the 
blows  cross  each  other,  thus  distributing  the  ham- 
mer's effects  more  equally  than  if  the  blows  all  lay  in 
one  direction. 


BLACKSMITIIING.  25 


CHAPTER  II. 
ANCIENT    TOOLS. 

A  paper  that  was  recently  read  before  a  scientific 
association  in  England,  gives  interesting  particulars 
about  tools  used  by  the  artisans  who  worked  on  the 
ancient  buildings  of  Egypt,  and  other  moribund 
civilizations.  The  subject  proved  specially  valuable 
in  showing  how  skilled  artisans  performed  their 
work  4,000  years  ago.  The  great  structures  whose 
ruins  are  scattered  all  over  North  Africa  and  Asia 
Minor,  demonstrate  that  great  artisan  and  engineer- 
ing skill  must  have  been  exercised  in  their  construc- 
tion, but  when  parties  interested  in  mechanical 
manipulations  tried  to  find  out  something  about  the 
ancient  methods  of  doing  work,  they  were  always 
answered  by  vague  platitudes  about  lost  arts  and 
stupendous  mechanical  powers  which  had  passed  into 
oblivion.  A  veil  of  mystery  has  always  been  found  a 
convenient  covering  for  a  subject  that  was  not  under- 
stood. The  average  literary  traveler  who  helped 
to  make  us  the  tons  of  books  that  have  been  written 
about  Oriental  ruins,  had  not  the  penetration  or  the 
trained  skill  to  reason  from  the  character  and  marks 


26  BLACKSMITHING. 

on  work  what  kind  of  a  tool  was  employed  in  fashion- 
ing it. 

A  trained  mechanic,  Flanders  Petrie,  happened 
round  Egypt  lately,  and  his  common-sense  observa- 
tions and  deductions  have  elucidated  many  of  the 
mysteries  that  hung  round  the  tools  and  methods  of 
ancient  workmen.  From  a  careful  collection  of  half 
finished  articles  with  the  tool  marks  fresh  upon  them 
—and  in  that  dry  climate  there  seems  to  be  no  decay 
in  a  period  of  four  thousand  years — he  proves  very 
conclusively  that  the  hard  diorite,  basalt  and  granite, 
were  cut  with  jewel-pointed  tools  used  in  the  form  of 
straight  and  circular  saws,  solid  and  tubular  drills 
and  graving  tools,  while  the  softer  stones  were 
picked  and  brought  to  true  planes  by  face-plates. 

That  circular  saws  were  used  the  proof  is  quite 
conclusive,  for  the  recurring  cut  circular  marks  are 
as  distinctly  seen  on  these  imperishable  stones  as 
are  the  saw  marks  from  a  newly  cut  pine  plank. 
This  proof  of  the  existence  of  ancient  circular  saws  is 
curious,  for  that  form  of  saw  is  popularly  believed  to 
be  of  quite  modern  invention.  That  another  device, 
supposed  to  be  of  recent  origin,  was  in  common  use 
among  Pharaoh's  workmen  is  proved  by  the  same 
authority.  We  have  met  several  mechanics  who 
asserted  that  they  made  the  first  face-plate  that  was 
ever  used  in  a  machine  shop,  and  we  have  read  of 
several  other  persons  who  made  the  same  claims,  all 
within  this  century.  Now  this  practical  antiquary 


BLACKSMITHING.  27 

has  gone  to  Egypt  and  reported  that  he  found  the 
ochre  marks  on  stones  made  by  face-plates  that  were 
used  by  these  old-time  workmen  to  bring  the  sur- 
faces true. 

As  steel  was  not  in  use  in  those  days  the  cutting 
points  for  tools  must  have  been  made  of  diamond  or 
other  hard  amorphous  stone  set  in  a  metallic  base. 
The  varied  forms  of  specimens  of  work  done,  show 
that  the  principal  cutting  tools  used  were  long 
straight  saws,  circular  disc  saws,  solid  drills,  tubular 
drills,  hand  grainers  and  lathe  cutters,  all  of  these 
being  made  on  the  principle  of  jewel  points,  while 
metallic  picks,  hammers  and  chisels  were  applied 
where  suitable.  Many  of  the  tools  must  have 
possessed  intense  rigidity  and  durability,  for  frag- 
ments of  work  were  shown  where  the  cutting  was 
done  very  rapidly,  one  tool  sinking  into  hard  granite 
one-tenth  inch  at  each  revolution.  A  curiosity  in  the 
manner  of  constructing  tubular  drills  might  be  worthy 
of  the  attention  of  modern  makers  of  mining  machin- 
ery. 

The  Egyptians  not  only  set  cutting  jewels  round 
the  edge  of  the  drill  tube,  as  in  modern  crown  drills, 
but  they  set  them  in  the  sides  of  the  tube,  both  inside 
and  outside.  By  this  means  the  hole  was  continually 
reamed  larger  by  the  tool,  and  the  cone  turned  down 
smaller  as  the  cutting  proceeded,  giving  the  means 
of  withdrawing  the  tool  more  readily. 

As  indications  on  the  work  prove  that  great  pres- 


28 


BLACKSMITHING. 


sure  must  have  been  required  to  keep  the  tools  cut- 
ting the  deep  grooves  they  made  at  every  sweep,  the 
inference  is  that  tools  which  could  stand  the  hard 
service  they  were  subjected  to,  must  have  been  mar- 
velously  well  made. 


AN  AFRICAN  FORGE. 

In  describing  his  African  journey  up  the    Cam 


FIG.  io— AN  AFRICA'N  FORGE. 


eroons  River  from  Bell  Town  to  Budiman,  Mr.  H. 
H.  Johnston  refers  to  a  small  smithy,  visited  at  the 
latter  town,  in  which  he  came  across  a  curious-look- 
ing forge.  Many  varieties  of  African  forges  had 


BLACKSMITHING.  2Q 

been  noted  by  him,  but  this  differed  markedly  from 
any  he  had  seen.  Ordinarily,  he  says,  the  bellows 
are  made  of  leather — usually  a  goat's  skin,  but  in 
this  case  they  are  ingeniously  manufactured  from 
the  broad,  pliable  leaves  of  the  banana.  A  man  sits 
astride  on  the  sloping,  wooden  block  behind  the  bel- 
lows, and  works  up  and  down  their  upright  handles, 


FIG.  II  — A  PRIMITIVE  LATHE. 


thus  driving  a  current  of  air  through  the  hollow 
cone  of  wood  and  the  double  barreled  iron  pipes 
(fitted  with  a  stone  muzzle)  into  the  furnace,  which 
is  a  glowing  mass  of  charcoal,  between  two  huge 
slabs  of  stone.  Fig.  10  is  an  illustration  of  this  re- 
markable specimen  of  the  African  smith's  ingenuity. 


BLACKSMITHING 


ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  WORK  AND  WORK- 
MEN. 

Forging  is  a  subject  of  interest  to  all  smiths. 
Excellent  work  was  made  in  the  olden  days,  when 
stamps,  dies  and  trip  hammers  were  unknown. 


FIG.  12— A  LATHE  NOW  IN  ACTUAL  USE  IX  ASIA. 

I  saw  some  examples  of  ancient  forging  in  the  ex- 
hibition of  1851,  made  in  1700,  that  were  simply 
beautiful,  both  in  design  and  execution.  They  were 
a  pair  of  gates  in  the  scroll  and  running  vein  class  of 
design.  The  leaves  were  beautifully  marked  and 
not  a  weld  was  to  be  seen.  Now  I  am  not  one  of 


BLACKSMITH1NG.  3! 

those  who  think  we  cannot  produce  such  work  now- 
adays, for  I  feel  sure  we  can  if  we  could  spare  the 
time  and  stand  the  cost,  but  undoubtedly  black- 
smithing1  as  an  art  has  not  advanced  in  modern 
times,  and  in  this  respect  the  blacksmiths  are  in 
good  company,  as  was  shown  in  the  ancient  Japanese 
bronze  vases  (in  the  Centennial  Exhibition  at  Phila- 
delphia), which  brought  such  marvelous  prices. 
Some  of  the  turned  works  of  the  last  century  were 
simply  elegj&nt,  and  in  this  connection  I  send  you 
two  sketches  of  ancient  lathes.  Figure  1 1  is  that 
from  which  the  lathe  took  its  name.  A  simple  wood 
frame,  ^  and  S,  carried  a  tail  stock,  B,  and  center 
screw,  C,  carrying  the  work,  W.  The  motion  was 
obtained  from  a  lathe  L  (from  which  the  word 
lathe  comes),  R  is  a  cord  attached  to  L,  wound  once 
around  the  work  and  attached  to  the  treadle,  T. 
Depressing  /"caused  the  lathe  L  to  descend  to  L 
whil  e  the  work  rotated  forward.  On  releasing  the 
pressure  on  T  the  lathe  rotates  the  work  backward 
so  that  cutting  occurs  on  the  downward  motion  of 
T  only. 

A  very  ancient  device  you  may  think.  But  what 
do  you  think  of  Fig.  12,  a  lathe  actually  in  use  to-day 
in  Asia,  and  work  from  which  was  exhibited  at  the 
Vienna  exhibition.  Of  this  lathe,  London  Engi- 
neering said  : 

"  Among  the  exhibits  were  wood  glasses, 
vases,  etc.,  made  by  the    Hercules,  the  rem/fiy&s* 


32  BLACKSMITHING. 

an  old  Asiatic  nation  which  had  settled  at  the  time 
of  the  general  migration  of  nations  in  the  remotest 
parts  of  Galicia,  in  the  dense  forests  of  the  Carpa- 
thian Mountains.  Their  lathe  (Fig.  12)  has  been 
employed  by  them  from  time  immemorial." 

We  must  certainly  give  them  credit  for  producing 
any  work  at  all  on  such  a  lathe  ;  but  are  they  not  a 
little  thick-headed  to  use  such  a  lathe  when  they 
can  get,  down  East,  lathes  for  almost  nothing ;  and 
if  they  know  enough  of  the  outside  barbarian  world 
to  exhibit  at  an  exhibition,  they  surely  must  have 
heard  of  the  Yankee  lathe, — By  F.  F. 


CHAPTER  III. 

CHIMNEYS,    FORGES,    FIRES,    SHOP    PLANS, 
WORK  BENCHES,  ETC. 


A    PLAN    OF    A    BLACKSMITH    SHOP. 

The  plan  on  page  34  shows  the  arrangement 
of  my  shop.  I  keep  all  my  tools  and  stock 
around  the  sides  of  the  shop  so  as  to  have  more 
room  in  the  center.  I  do  all  my  work,  repairing,  iron 
or  wood  work  on  the  one  floor,  shown  in  Fig.  13. 
My  forge  is  two  feet  four  inches  high,  and  four  feet 
square  ;  it  is  made  of  brick  and  stone.  My  chimney 
has  a  12-inch  flue,  which  gives  me  plenty  of  draught. 
My  tuyere-iron  is  set  four  inches  below  the  surface  of 
the  forge  ;  this  arrangement  gives  me  a  good  bed  o 
coal  to  work  on.  My  vise  bench  is  two  feet  wide  and 
seven  feet  long  ;  it  has  a  drawer  in  it  for  taps  and  eyes. 
My  wood-work  bench  is  two  and  a  half  feet  wide  and 
eight  feet  long.  The  blower  takes  up  a  space  of  four 
feet  ten  inches ;  I  can  work  it  with  a  lever  or 
crank.  The  drill  occupies  two  by  two  feet.  The 
tool-rack  is  built  around  the  forge,  so  that  it  does  not 
occupy  much  room  and  is  handy  to  get  at.  The 


34 


BLACKSMITHING. 


forge  is  hollow  underneath,  which  allows  me  to 
dump  the  fire  and  get  the  ashes  out  of  a  hole  left  for 
the  purpose.  I  use  a  blower  in  preference  to  the 


-3: 


M 


FIG.  13— PLAN  OF  A  BLACKSMITH  SHOP. 

old-fashioned  bellows,  and  consider  it  far  superior 
in  every  way. 

In  the  illustration,  A    denotes  the  anvil;  B,  is  a 


BLACKSMITHING.  35 

vise  bench  for  iron  work  ;  RR,  are  tool  racks  for 
taps,  dies  and  other  small  tools  ;  C,  is  a  large  front 
door  ;  D,  is  an  upright  drill ;  E,  is  a  tire  bender;  Gy 
is  a  grindstone  ;  //,  is  a  back  door,  and  my  tire  stone 
is  directly  opposite,  so  I  can  step  to  it  easily  with  a 
light  tire  from  the  forge;  7,  is  my  blower;  F,  is  a 
vise  for  iron  work  ;  T,  is  a  tire  upsetter ;  M,  is  an  iron 
rack ;  S,  a  pair  of  stairs ;  W,  is  my  wood-working 
bench  ;  R,  is  a  rack  for  bits  and  chisels  ;  S,  is  a  wheel 
horse  for  repairing  wheels  ;  F,  is  the  forge  ;  and  near  it 
is  a  rack  for  tongues  and  swedges.  The  round  spot 
at  the  corner  of  the  forge  is  a  tub.  I  have  a  small 
back  attached  to  my  anvil  block  for  holding  the  tools 
I  use  while  at  work  on  any  particular  job. — By  J.  J.  B. 

AN    IMPROVED    FORGE. 

My  hood  for  smoky  chimneys,  shown  in  a  previous 
communication,  is  a  good  one,  generally  speaking, 
but  there  are  some  kinds  of  work  that  will  not  go 
between  this  hood  and  the  bottom  of  the  hearth,  and 
to  get  over  this  difficulty  I  have  devised  the  arrange- 
ment shown  ;n  the  accompanying  illustration,  Fig.  14. 

J  derived  the  leading  idea  from  a  forge  in  Dundee, 
but  in  making  mine  I  deviated  from  this  pattern  to 
suit  myself.  The  great  secret  in  having  a  good  fire 
is  to  have  a  good  draft,  and  to  have  a  good  draft  it 
must  be  built  after  scientific  principles.  First,  a 
vacuum  must  be  made  so  large  that  when  your  fire  is 


BLACKSMITHING. 


built,  the  blaze  immediately  burns  the  air,  thereby 
forming  a  draft  which  acts  after  the  balloon  principle, 
having  an  upward  tendency.  The  chimney  should  be 
at  least  sixteen  feet  in  height.  Now,  for  the  forge  : 


FIG.    14 — AN   IMPROVED   FORGE. 

I  tore  the  old  one  away  clear  down  to  the  floor,  and 
built  a  new  one  with  brick,  making  it  on  the  side  four 
feet  and  two  inches  (that  is,  from  the  back  part  of  the 
chimney),  -three  feet  and  six  inches  in  width  and  two 


BLACKSMITHING.  37 

feet  and  eight  inches  in  height.  I  placed  my  tuyere 
four  inches  lower  than  the  surface  of  the  hearth, 
leaving  a  fire-box  nearly  semi-circular  in  shape,  about 
fourteen  inches  across  the  longest  way  and  ten  inches 
the  other  way.  I  then  finished  the  hearth,  making  it 
as  level  as  I  could  conveniently.  I  then  put  a 
straight-edge  on  the  face  of  the  chimney  four  inches 
from  each  corner,  marked  it,  and  cut  all  of  the  front 
away  for  the  distance  of  four  feet  and  six  inches, 
leaving  the  heavy  sides  undisturbed.  I  then  com- 
menced laying  brick  on  the  surface,  beginning  at  the 
edge  of  the  chimney  ;  the  front  part  of  the  extension 
chimney  was  allowed  to  come  within  three  inches  of 
the  hole  in  the  tuyere.  I  laid  three  courses  of  brick 
and  left  directly  over  the  tuyere  an  opening  four  inches 
by  eight  inches — this  is  large  enough  for  a  draft  open- 
ing. I  then  completed  the  chimney  up  as  high  as  I  had 
the  old  chimney,  drawing  in  at  the  top,  and  the  job 
was  complete,  and  a  better  drawing  forge  cannot  be 
found.  The  noise  it  makes  in  drawing,  reminds  one 
of  the  distant  rumbling  of  a  cyclone. 

Now  I  would  like  to  say  just  a  little  in  reference 
to  the  tuyere  I  am  using.  It  is  manufactured 
by  J.  W.  Cogswell,  and  I  think  it  is  the  finest 
working  tuyere  I  ever  had  the  pleasure  of  using. 
It  is  made  on  the  rotary  principle,  the  top  turning 
one  quarter  around.  It  suits  almost  any  kind  of 
work.  By  opening  the  draft  a  large  fire  can  be 
obtained  and  by  closing  it  you  have  a  light  one. 


3o  BLACKSMITHING. 

You  can  have  a  long  blast  lengthwise,  crosswise,  or 
at  any  angle,  and  for  welding  light  or  heavy  work, 
I  can  say  the  Cogswell  tuyere  is  hard  to  beat. 

In  the  illustration  (Fig.  14),  A,  shows  the  position 
of  the  tuyere  three  inches  from  the  face  of  the 
chimney.  F,  is  the  face  of  the  chimney.  G,  is, the 
upper  section  of  the  hearth.  B,  is  the  draft  rod.  C, 
is  the  rod  that  lengthens  or  shortens  the  blast.  E, 
F,  D,  constitute  the  new  part  of  the  chimney.  /,  is 
the  old  chimney.  //,  is  the  draft,  which  is  four  inches 


FIG.  15 — THE    FORGE-STAND. 


by  eight  inches  in  the  clear,  and  is  six  inches  above 
the  hearth.    J,  is  the  cinder  box. — By  L.  S.  R. 


A   SIMPLE    FORGE. 


The  illustration  herewith  shows  a  simple  forge 
at  which  may  be  performed  some  of  the  most  diffi- 
cult forgings. 


BLACKSMITHING. 


39 


•  The  forge-stand,  as  shown  in  the  illustration,  is 
square  in  shape,  but  may  be  made  round  or  any 
other  shape  to  suit.  A,  Fig.  15,  is  the  tuyere. 
The  size  of  the  forge  must  be  made  to  suit  the  work. 
One  that  would  answer  for  average  purposes  should 
be  about  twenty-four  inches  square,  and  about 
twenty  or  twenty-two  inches  high,  and  detached 


FIG.  l6— THE   SMOKE-STACK   AND    BONNET. 


from  the  walls  so  as  to  allow  of  getting  all 
around  it.  Fig.  16  shows  the  smoke-stack  and  bonnet. 
A,  is  the  bonnet ;  B,  the  smoke-stack;  C,  is  a  dotted 
line  showing  the  next  joint  of  pipe  as  telescoped. 
D  D,  are  chains  running  over  the  pulleys,  E  E,  which 
are  secured  to  the  wall  or  ceiling.  F  F,  are  counter- 


4O  BLACKSMITHING. 

weights,  which  balance  the  bonnet  when  raised  or 
lowered  to  accommodate  the  work  in  hand. — By  I.  D. 

CURING    A    SMOKY    CHIMNEY. 

I  had  a  chimney  in  which  the  draught  was  bad,  and 
it  may  be  of  interest  to  many  to  learn  how  I  reme- 
died the  trouble.  I  did  so  by  making  a  hood  of 
boiler  iron. 

I  first  cut  the  hood  to  the  shape  shown  in  Fig.  1 7 


0 

FIG.    I/— THE  HOOD. 

of  the  accompanying  engraving.  The  distance  from 
A  to  C  is  two  feet,  and  from  A  to  B  the  distance  is 
four  feet,  eight  inches.  From  C  to  D  it  is  two  feet, 
five  inches.  I  then  cut  away  all  projecting  parts  of 
the  chimney,  and  next  bent  the  hood  to  fit  the  chim- 
ney as  closely  as  possible.  I  then  put  the  hood  up 


BLACKSMITHING.  41 

where  I  wanted  it  to  be,  that  was  about  fifteen 
inches  above  the  tuyere  iron,  and  marked  out  the 
outline  of  the  chimney,  I  then  removed  all  the  bricks 
inside  the  mark  and  riveted  two  straps,  each  eight 
inches  long,  on  the  hood  at  the  points  A  and  B.  I 
also  punched  a  hole  at  the  top  at  C.  I  next  drove  a 
twenty-penny  spike  through  the  hole  C  to  the  mid- 
dle of  the  chimney,  being  careful  to  set  the  nail  in 
the  mortar  between  the  bricks.  I  then  nailed  the 
straps  to  the  chimney  and  taking  a  strong  wire  drew 


B' 
FIG.    l8— THE  CINDER  CATCH. 

the  slack  at  A  and  B  so  that  it  fitted  snugly.  1 
next  plastered  it  around  the  edge  and  gave  it  two 
coats  of  whitewash.  The  job  was  then  finished  and 
it  is  the  best  arrangement  for  a  smoky  chimney  I 
have  ever  seen. 

I  have  a  very  good  cinder  catch,  also  made  of 
boiler  iron,  in  the  form  shown  in  Fig,  18  of  the  illus- 
trations. It  was  made  by  taking  a  piece  eight  inches 
wide  and  long  enough  to  reach  across  on  the  inside 
of  the  chimney,  and  bending  the  piece  as  shown  in 
the  sketch.  The  catch  should  fit  in  tightly. 


BLACKSMITH  I  NO. 


Fig.   19  represents  the  chimney  with  the  hood  at- 
tached.—^ L.  S.  R. 


A    BLACKSMITH  S    CHIMNEY. 


The  illustration,    Fig.    20,  shows    my    method  of 
making  a  blacksmitu's  chimney  so  that  it  will  draw 


FIG.  19— SHOWING  THE  HOOD  ATTACHED  TO  THE  CHIMNEY. 

well.  I  know  what  it  is  to  have  a  smoky  chimney. 
I  had  my  chimney  torn  down  and  built  up  again  four 
times  in  two  years.  The  last  time  it  was  built  I  think 


BLACKSMITHING. 


43 


I  struck  on  the  right  plan.  The  forge  is  built  of 
stone.  I  use  a  bottom  blast  tuyere.  The  space  B, 
in  the  illustration,  is  left  open  to  receive  the  handle 
of  the  valve,  and  to  allow  the  escape  of  the  ashes. 
The  front  of  the  chimney,  F,  is  built  straight  or  per- 
pendicular from  the  hearth,  H.  C  denotes  the  open- 


FIG.  20— A  BLACKSMITH'S  CHIMNEY  THAT  WILL  NOT  SMOKE. 


ing  for  the  smoke.  The  distance  from  //to  C  is 
about  four  inches,  or  the  thickness  of  two  bricks. 
Let  me  say  here  that  the  mouths  of  most  all  flues  are 
too  high  up  from  the  fire,  and  this  allows  the  smoke 
to  spread  before  it  reaches  the  draught.  The  fire 
should  be  built  as  close  to  the  flue  as  possible,  and 


44 


BLACKSMITHING. 


the  top  of  the  chimney  should  be  a  little  larger  than 
the  throat. 

I  think  this  is  the  handiest  flue  that  can  be  built 
for  general  blacksmithing. — By  J.  M.  B. 

ANOTHER   CHIMNEY. 

As  there  are  a  great  many  who  do  not  know  how 


FIG.  21— A  BLACKSMITH'S  CHIMNEY  THAT  WILL  DRAW. 

to  build  a  chimney  that  will  draw  well,  I  send  you  a 
sketch,   Fig.  21,  of    a    chimney    that   I   have    been 


BLACKSMITHING. 


45 


using  for  fifteen  years  and  that  has  given  me  perfect 
satisfaction. 

It  is  made  of  brick  or  stone  and  is  joined  to  the 


ROOF 


1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

I 

1 

[     . 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

I 

1 

Q_ 

1 

1 

o 

1  , 

1  , 

\~  1 

I 

1 

CO 

1 

L 

,    1, 

. 

1 

1      1 

u. 

o 

Q 

co 

1          1           1          1          1 

1                    1           1          1           1 

1          1           1          1          1 

1                    1           1          1           1 

1          1           1          1          1 

I                    1           1          1           1 

1          1           1          1          1 

1                    1           1          1           1 

1          1           1          1          1 

1                    1           1          1           1 

FIG.  22— ANOTHER   BLACKSMITH'S  CHIMNEY  THAT  WILL  DRAW. 

hearth,  the  latter  being  six  bricks  below  the  jamb. 
The  round  hole  in  the  bottom  side  is  the  bellows 
hole,  and  the  square  hole  in  the  end  of  the  jamb  is 


46 


BLACKSMITHING. 


very  convenient  for  small  tools,  etc.  The  hearth 
and  jamb  can  be  built  in  size  and  height  to  suit  the 
builder.— j5>  ].  K. 

STILL    ANOTHER    CHIMNEY. 

The  illustration  on  page  45,   Fig.   22,  represents 


L _L 


i1!1    i1 


m 


r=±H 


nffl 


i       i 


FIG.  23 — STILL  ANOTHER  CHIMNEY  THAT  WILL  NOT  SMOKE. 

my  method  of  building  a  blacksmith's  chimney  so 
that   it  will  draw  well  and  will  not  smoke.      The 


BLACKSMITHING.  47 

original  chimney  from  which  this  sketch  is  taken  has 
been  in  use  in  my  shop  for  four  years,  and  is  as  free 
from  soot  and  cinders  as  it  was  the  first  day  it  was 
used.  Its  peculiar  construction  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  mason  who  built  it  made  a  mistake  of  eight 
inches  in  locating  the  forge,  and,  therefore,  he  had 
to  give  the  chimney  a  jog  of  eight  inches  to  get  it 
out  at  the  place  intended  for  it.  In  making  one  it 
is  best  to  run  it  out  three  feet,  and  if  on  the  side  run 
two  feet  above  the  comb. — By  J.  S.  H. 

ANOTHER    FORM    OF   CHIMNEY. 

My  way  of  building  a  blacksmith's  chimney,  and 
one  that  will  take  up  the  smoke  and  soot,  is  shown 
in  the  accompanying  engraving,  Fig.  23. 

It  will  be  seen  that  there  are  five  bricks  across  the 
base  up  to  a  height  of  five  bricks,  then  a  gradual 
taper  to  four  bricks,  and  then  two  bricks  and  a  half 
by  one  and  a  half.  The  flue  or  smoke  hole  is  ten 
inches  in  diameter.  This  chimney  will  draw. — By 
G.  C.  C. 

AN    ARKANSAS    FORGE. 

The  accompanying  sketch,  Fig.  24,  with  brief 
description,  will  give  a  good  idea  of  the  forge  I  use. 

The  shell  of  the  forge  is  a  section  of  iron  smoke- 
stack, four  feet  in  diameter,  filled  in  with  sand  and 
brick.  I  use  a  water  tuyere,  and  find  it  the  best  I 
ever  tried.  I  use  a  blower  in  place  of  a  bellows,  and 


48  BLACKSMITHING. 

could  not  be  hired  to  return  to  the  bellows.  My  forge 
is  at  least  six  feet  from  any  wall.  The  water  keg  rests 
on  a  bracket  fastened  to  the  wall,  and,  as  shown  in  the 
illustration,  the  pipes  extend  downward  and  along  the 
ground  to  the  forge,  and  then  beyond  it.  The  pipes 
have  caps  on  the  ends.  I  use  an  angle  valve,  as  shown, 


FIG.   24— AN   ARKANSAS   FORGE. 


for  shutting  off  water  from  the  pipes.  A  rack  for  tongs 
is  fastened  to  the  back  of  the  forge.  A  stationary 
pipe  extends  from  a  few  feet  above  the  forge 


BLACKSMITHING. 


49 


through  the  roof.  A  smaller  pipe  with  a  hood  on 
the  lower  end  extends  up  into  the  large  pipe,  and 
this  is  suspended  by  weights  so  as  to  be  raised  or 
lowered  at  will. — By  E.  C. 


SETTING   A    TUYERE. 


Dropping  into   a  small  smithy  on   the  west   side 
of   New  York  City,  a  short  time  ago,  I  found  the 


1      1 

lilt 

1     1 

1     1     1     1 

1     1 

1      1      1      1    ' 

1     1 

1     1 

i 

i      i     i 

1     1 

i     i 

1     1 

i      i     i 

1      1 

C|          1 

1     1     1 

1      1 

1      1 

i 

1     1     1 

~r     r 

1     1 

FIG.  25— SHOWING  THE  FORGE  AND  BACK  WALL. 

proprietor  much  perplexed.  He  was  trying  to  raise 
a  welding  heat  on  the  center  bar  of  a  phaeton  dash 
which  had  dog-ears  or  projections  on  each  side.  A 
dozen  attempts  were  made  while  I  looked  on,  and  all 


5O  BLACKSMITH1NG. 

were  failures.  "  I'll  have  to  send  this  job  out  to  my 
neighbor,"  said  the  smith.  Then  I  suggested  that 
there  was  no  necessity  of  doing  so.  The  trouble  was 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  tuyere  was  about  eight 
inches  out  from  the  back  wall  of  the  forge  and  the 
dog-ears  on  the  dash  projected  about  fourteen  inches. 
With  the  old-fashioned  back  blast,  the  smith  could 
have  banked  out  a  blow-hole  with  wet  coal  the  whole 
length  of  his  forge,  and  thus  have  accomplished  his 
weld  in  short  order,  but  there  would  have  been  more 
or  less  waste  of  coal.  His  tuyere  was  a  bottom-blast 
one,  and  to  him  there  was  apparently  no  way  out  of 
the  difficulty. 

I  asked  the  privilege  of  trying  my  hand  at  the  job 
and  was  given  permission.  My  first  trick  was  to 
locate  the  objectionable  brick  and  remove  it.  Then 
one  of  the  dog-ears  of  the  dash  could  enter.  I  raised 
the  heat,  made  the  weld,  and  suggested  to  my  friend 
that  a  handful  of  cement  would  repair  the  breach. 
Since  then  it  has  occurred  to  me  that  a  short  chapter 
on  setting  tuyeres  would  not  be  amiss,  and  I  now 
present  my  ideas  in  type  and  illustrated. 

In  Fig.  25,  A  represents  a  section  of  the  back 
wall  of  a  brick  forge  ;  B  is  the  working  side  ;  C, 
the  face ;  D,  the  top ;  /%  the  center  of  the 
tuyere ;  O,  the  rod  hole  of  the  tuyere ;  and  E, 
the  ash  pit.  Measuring  from  A  and  B,  the  center 
of  the  tuyere  is  as  shown  by  the  line  drawn,  a 
and  H ;  the  distance  should  not  be  less  than  eighteen 


BLACKSMITHING.  51 

inches  or  more.  The  distance  will  be  sufficient  for 
most  of  the  work  that  is  done  by  the  average  wagon 
or  carriage  smith.  Set  the  tuyere  top  from  four 
inches  to  six  inches  below  the  level  of  the  forge. 
The  heavier  the  irons  to  be  manipulated  the  deeper 
must  the  top  of  the  tuyere  be  set. 

In  building  a  new  forge  it  is  a  wise  precaution  to 
build  a  recess  in  the  back  of  the  forge  or  forge  wall 
as  deep  as  the  construction  of  the  chimney  will  allow. 
If  the  wall  be  sixteen  inches  thick  let  the  recess  be 


FIG.    26.— SHOWING    HOW  THE  RECESS   IS   MADE. 

not  less  than  eight  inches  deep  and  twenty-four 
inches  high  and  at  least  twenty-four  inches  or  more 
wide;  then,  with  the  tuyeres  set  eighteen  or  more 
inches  out,  the  most  intricate  forging  can  be  handled 
with  care.  The  sparks  and  ashes  which  ascend  part 
of  the  way  and  then  return,  settle  in  the  recess  and 
thus  keep  the  fire  clean  and  clear.  Fig.  26  shows 
the  manner  of  constructing  the  recess,  A  A  bejj 
the  back  wall,  and  B  the  recess. — By  I.  D, 


52  BLACKSMITHING. 

A    MODERN    VILLAGE   CARRIAGE-SHOP. 

Prize  Essay  written  for  The  Carriage-Builders'1  National  Association  by  WM.   W. 
WETHERHOLD,  of  Reading,  Pa. 

In  building  a  carriage  shop,  room,  light  and  ven- 
tilation are  the  three  great  points  to  attain,  and  the 
builder  who  does  attain  these  points  and  at  the  same 
time  has  everything  convenient  will  have  a  perfect 
shop.  In  selecting  a  site  I  have  taken  a  corner  lot 
and  have  arranged  my  plans  to  run  back  to  the  ten- 
foot  alley,  using  my  full  length  of  plot  and  getting 
light  from  three  sides.  Size  of  lot,  110x65  ft. 
(Height  of  stories  :  first,  12  ft.;  second  and  third, 
10  ft.  For  size  and  arrangement  of  room,  see  floor 
plan.)  The  office  is  fronting  the  main  street,  ad- 
joining the  wareroom,  and  is  fitted  with  desks  for 
clerks  and  a  fire  and  burglar-proof  safe,  a  table  at 
side  window  at  which  to  take  the  time  of  the  hands 
in  going  to  and  from  work,  a  letter-press,  a  station- 
ary wash  stand,  shelves,  speaking  tubes  to  the  differ- 
ent departments,  and  a  private  desk  for  the  use  of 
the  proprietor.  There  is  a  door  leading  to  the  ware- 
room,  one  to  the  stock  room,  and  is  convenient  to 
the  elevator  and  stairway  leading  upstairs.  The 
walls  are  plastered  and  kalsomined.  The  wareroom 
adjoins  the  office,  facing  the  main  street.  The  ele- 
vator opens  into  it,  and  there  are  sliding  doors  con- 
necting it  with  the  wood  shop.  The  walls  and  ceil- 
ings are  covered  with  cypress  wainscoting,  two 
inches  wide,  plowed  and  grooved,  and  finished  in 
oil,  and  the  windows  have  inside  shutters, 


BLACKSMITHING. 


53 


10  FT.  ALLEY 


VISE    BENCH 

rooLS 

tH  ANVIL 


-H 


8E    BENCH 
WATER 


£     A 


VISE  FOR  HOT  IRON   9       SLIDING 


LACK  TUB 

BLACK-SMITH 

DANVIL 

SHOP       K 
Q  ANVIL.  a 

SLACK  TUB      BENDER 
2*'x  45' 


FIG.  27.— PLAN    OF   THE   FIRST   FLOOR. 


54  BLACKSMITHING. 

The  stock  room  is  next  to  the  office,  and  is  fitted 
with  shelves  and  racks  for  proper  storing  and  ac- 
counting of  stock.  There  is  a  door  to  the  elevator 
and  a  stairway  leading  upstairs  ;  also  a  door  to  the 
yard  for  the  unloading  of  goods  without  interfering 
with  the  workmen.  The  upper  half  of  the  partitions 
are  ash  with  glass  to  admit  light.  The  elevator  is 
next  to  the  stock  room  and  is  so  arranged  that  the 
work  of  the  smith  shop  can  be  put  on  and  hoisted 
without  going  outside  in  unpleasant  weather. 

The  wood  shop  is  at  the  rear  of  the  main  building, 
adjoining  the  smith  shop,  and  is  fitted  with  five  bench- 
es. It  is  next  to  the  elevator  and  has  a  stairway 
leading  to  the  second  floor.  The  second  floor  is 
used  entirely  for  the  paint  department.  Going  from 
the  wood  shop  we  get  into  the  paint  room,  which 
has  a  paint  bench  with  mill  and  stone  to  mix  colors, 
etc.  Shelves  are  arranged  for  the  proper  keeping  of 
cups  and  brushes.  There  is  also  a  vise  bench  in 
this  room,  with  tools,  bolts,  screws,  oil,  washers,  etc., 
for  the  taking  apart  and  putting  together  of  work. 
There  are  two  spaces  with  cement  floor,  one  for 
gears  and  the  other  for  bodies.  The  elevator  and 
stairway  are  in  this  room.  The  front  of  the  second 
floor  is  partitioned  off  for  varnish  rooms.  I  have 
used  the  front  so  as  to  be  removed  from  the  smith 
and  wood  departments  as  far  as  possible.  The  win- 
dows are  double  and  the  ceilings  and  walls  finished 
with  cypress  the  same  as  the  wareroom.  These 
rooms  have  inside  shutters  also. 


BLACKSMITHING.  55 

The  trimmer  room  is  on  the  third  floor  back,  and 
is  fitted  with  benches  for  three  men.  The  floor 
plans  will  show  position  of  shelves,  closets  and  sew- 
ing machine.  I  have  a  small  room  connected  with 
the  trimming  room  to  be  used  entirely  for  the  stuff- 
ing of  cushions,  etc.  It  is  of  great  help  in  keeping 
the  trimming  room  and  all  the  work  clean.  The 
third  floor,  front,  is  intended  for  the  storage  of 
bodies  in  stock,  ironed  and  in  the  rough,  and  for  a 
wareroom  for  second-hand  work  after  it  is  rebuilt. 
Here,  also,  I  have  shelves  for  all  cushions,  carpets, 
curtains,  etc.,  belonging  to  any  job  which  is  being 
rebuilt  and  repainted. 

In  case  of  my  painters  being  crowded  with  work, 
I  can  have  all  new  bodies  brought  upstairs  and  taken 
ahead  in  paint,  thus  giving  them  more  room  on  the 
second  floor.  The  smith  shop  I  have  placed  in  an 
annex,  so  as  to  remove  all  dirt  and-  dust  as  much  as 
possible  from  the  main  building.  It  is  made  to  run 
four  fires.  The  windows  on  the  side  are  placed  high 
to  prevent  looking  into  the  next  yard,  but  the  large 
front  and  back  windows  allow  plenty  of  light.  The 
second  floor  of  this  annex  will  be  used  for  storage 
of  lumber,  wheels,  wheel  stock,  shafts,  etc.,  for  the 
wood-workers  ;  the  door  in  the  yard  can  be  used  to 
unload  lumber,  and  I  have  also  one  of  the  rear  win- 
dows arranged  with  a  roller  by  which  to  take  in  lum- 
ber. The  trap  door  in  the  floor  can  be  used  to  slide 
lumber  down  into  the  wood  shop,  as  it  is  on  a  line 


56  BLACKSMITHING. 

with  the  sliding  doors  connecting  the  wood  and 
smith  departments. 

I  have  arranged  a  heater  in  the  cellar  of  the  smith 
shop,  and  will  heat  the  whole  shop  with  steam  gen- 
erated by  it. 

It  will  work  automatically,  and  will  require  at- 
tention only  twice  daily  except  in  extremely  cold 
weather,  when  more  attention  will  be  needed. 

To  stock  a  shop  of  this  kind  completely  at  once 
would  be  a  very  difficult  matter.  I  should  proceed  as 
follows  :  I  would  order  5,000  feet  of  lumber,  assorted 
into  500  feet  TV  and  1-inch  poplar  surfaced  on  both 
sides  ;  2,000  feet  ^-inch  poplar,  surfaced  on  both  sides  ; 
500  feet  ash,  f-inch  ;  1,000  feet  ash,  ij-  to  2  inch; 
i, ooo  feet  hickory,  ij  to  2  inch.  I  would  order  wheel 
stock  for  25  sets  of  wheels,  as  follows:  5  sets  for 
1-inch  tire,  10  sets  for  if-inch  tire,  5  sets  for  f-inch 
tire,  and  5  sets  for  ft-inch  tire ;  2  dozen  pair  shafts,  2 
dozen  pair  drop  perches,  wood  screws,  nails,  glue,  etc.; 
25  sets  of  axles  to  suit  wheel  stock ;  25  sets  of  springs, 
bolts  and  clips  in  assorted  sizes,  and  paints  and  varn- 
ishes. Bows  and  trimming  goods  I  would  not  order 
at  once,  as  I  would  now  open  up  shop,  and  try  to  book 
a  few  orders,  and  see  what  quality  of  work  was 
wanted  to  suit  my  new  customers. 

I  believe  that  in  ordering  a  little  sparingly  at  first 
I  could  do  better  in  the  end  by  watching  the  run  of 
my  trade,  as  I  could  then  change  my  stock,  if  neces- 
sary, without  any  loss. 


BLACKSMITHING. 


57 


FIG.  28.— PLAN   OF    THE    SECOND   FLOOR. 


58  BLACKSMITHING. 

The  floor  plans  of  the  shops  are  shown  in  the 
accompanying  illustrations,  in  which  Fig.  27  repre- 
sents the  first  floor,  Fig.  28  the  second  floor,  and 
Fig.  29  the  third  floor.  The  drawings  are  on  the 
scale  of  24  feet  to  the  inch. 

BEST  ROOF  FOR  A  BLACKSMITH  SHOP. 

In  answer  to  your  correspondents,  G.  H.  &  Son, 
who  inquire  about  the  best  roof  for  a  blacksmith 
shop,  let  me  say  that  I  prefer  a  corrugated  sheet-iron 
roof,  made  of  the  best  galvanized  Number  20  iron, 
fastened  down  with  copper  wires  wrapped  around  the 
rafters.  Nails  will  work  out  with  the  changes  in  the 
weather.—^/  J.  B.  H. 

HOLLOW  FIRE  VS.  OPEN  FIRE. 

For  welding  steel  to  iron  I  always  use  an  open 
fire,  or  I  should  say  for  the  last  ten  years  have  done 
so.  Formerly  I  used  a  hollow  fire,  but  as  I  became 
more  experienced  in  welding  dies  I  became  con-* 
vinced  that  a  hollow  fire  was  not  the  best  or  cheapest 
for  that  purpose. 

I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  work  welded  in  a  hollow 
fire,  and  have  seen  much  of  it  burnt  and  rendered 
entirely  worthless.  In  welding  a  steel  plate  to  an 
iron  one,  I  want  my  iron  much  hotter  than  I  can 
get  it  in  a  hollow  fire  without  burning  the  steel. 
As  a  hollow  fire  heats  almost  as  fast  at  the  top  as  it 
does  at  the  bottom,  it  will  be  seen  that  in  order  to 


BLACKSMITHING. 


59 


J     L 


ROOF 


YARD 


WORKBENCH    rrTl  WORK  BENCH  WORK  BENCH 


SEWING  MACHINE 

TRIMMER  ROOM 

2lYx4<>' 
r  SHELVES 


WARE  ROOM  AND 
STOCK  ROOIV 


FIG.  29.— PLAN   OF  THE  THIRD   FLOOR. 


r 


60  BLACKSMITHING. 

get  a  welding  heat  on  the  iron  you  are  pretty  sure 
to  get  the  steel  too  hot,  and  if  you  do  not  get  a  weld- 
ing heat  on  the  iron  of  course  the  steel  will  not  weld. 
It  may  seem  to  be  welded  a  great  many  times  when 
it  is  only  stuck  in  one  or  two  places,  and  if  it  is  not 
thoroughly  welded  it  is  sure  to  start  off  when  it  is 
being  hardened  or  used. 

I  have  not  used  a  hollow  fire  for  several  years  for 
welding  steel  to  iron,  for  many  reasons,  among  which 
I  may  mention  the  following :  First,  because  it  takes 
more  time,  and,  of  course,  is  more  expensive  ;  and 
second,  because  I  cannot  do  the  work  as  well.  My 
way  of  building  a  fire  is  this  :  I  put  on  plenty  of  coal 
to  make  a  fire  of  sufficient  size  for  the  work  I  have 
to  do,  and  with  respect  to  this  part  of  the  operation 
each  man  must  be  his  own  judge.  I  build  up  the 
sides  of  my  fire  pretty  well,  and  let  the  middle  burn 
out ;  then  I  fill  the  middle  with  good  hard  coke,  and 
my  fire  is  ready.  Then  I  put  in  my  work  and  cover 
it  with  small  pieces  of  coke,  and  give  the  fire  a  slow 
blast,  increasing  it  as  the  heat  comes  up.  In  this 
way  I  can  bring  my  heat  up  from  the  bottom,  getting 
a  good  welding  heat  on  my  iron  when  the  top  of  the 
steel  is  at  an  ordinary  working  heat.  In  this  kind  of  a 
fire  you  can  see  your  heat  better  than  you  can  in^a 
hollow  fire  and  tell  when  your  steel  is  at  the  right 
heat.  It  is  claimed  that  there  are  several  ways  to 
tell  when  the  heat  is  right  other  than  by  looking  at 
your  iron,  but  I  am  satisfied  to  trust  to  my  eyes  to 


BLACKSMITHING.  6 1 

inform  me  when  the  proper  result  has  been  reached. 
-By  G.  B.  J. 

A  POINT    ABOUT   BLACKSMITHS*  FIRES. 

A  common  trouble  in  country  blacksmith  shops 
is  the  going-out  of  the  fire  while  the  smith  is  doing 
work  away  from  it.  This  annoyance  can  be  pre- 
vented by  keeping  at  hand  a  box  containing  saw- 
dust. When  the  fire  seems  to  be  out,  throw  a  hand- 
ful of  sawdust  on  the  coals  and  a  good  blaze  will 
quickly  follow.  This  may  seem  a  small  matter,  but 
there  are  many  who  will  find  my  suggestion  a  use- 
ful one.— By  D.  P. 

TO  KEEP  A  BLACKSMITH'S  FIRE  IN  A  SMALL  COMPASS. 

If  clay  or  mortar  soon  burn  out,  mix  them  with 
strong  salt  brine  and  the  trouble  will  be  avoided— 
when  an  intense  heat  is  required  use  fine  coal  wet 
with  brine.  Use  a  thin  coating  on  top  and  around 
the  fire.  Salt  and  sand  mixed  and  thrown  on  top  of 
the  fire  also  serves  a  good  purpose. 

BLACKSMITH'S  FIRE  FORGE. 

With  reference  to  the  manner  of  managing  a 
blacksmith's  fire  so  as  to  accomplish  the  best  results, 
I  will  describe  the  forge  I  am  using.  It  is  2  feet  6 
inches  high  ;  the  bed  is  3  feet  10  inches  long  and  3 
feet  wide,  and  in  construction  is  a  box.  The  legs 
are  made  of  4x4  stuff.  The  tuyere  is  placed  5  inches 
below  the  surface.  I  use  a  common  bellows,  size  32 


62  BLACKSMITHING. 

inches.  With  this  forge  I  have  no  difficulty  in 
welding  a  2^-inch  axle  or  facing  a  lo-pound  sledge- 
hammer. The  chimney  is  an  inverted  funnel,  and 
is  made  of  sheet-iron.  At  the  bottom  it  is  2  feet  5 
inches  in  diameter.  It  joins  a  7-inch  pipe  at  the 
top.— By  H.  B. 

CEMENTING    A    FIRE-PLACE. 

To  cement  a  fire-place  so  that  the  cinders  will  not 
stick,  I  use  old  axes  instead  of  bricks.  I  put  the 
polls  of  the  axes  out  at  the  front  of  the  breast  of  the 
forge.  I  use  from  12  to  15  axes  in  one  forge,  putting 
two  axes  below  the  pipe  and  two  on  each  side,  and  as 
many  above  as  are  needed.  I  use  what  is  called  yel- 
low clay  for  mortar,  putting  a  handful  of  salt  in  the 
clay,  and  then  beating  it  thoroughly  so  that  there  will 
be  no  lumps  in  the  mortar.  I  put  the  axes  and  mor- 
tar in  as  I  would  bricks  and  mortar.  The  fire-place 
is  left  deep  enough  to  have  a  bed  of  dust  in  the  bot- 
tom. A  fire-place  fixed  in  this  way  will  last  for 
twelve  months.  The  cinders  are  lifted  while  hot. 
— By  F.  M.  G. 

CEMENTING  A  SMITH'S  FIRE. 

My  way  of  cementing  a  blacksmith's  fire  so  that 
the  cinders  will  not  stick  is  as  follows  :  I  use  Power's 
patent  fire-pot.  I  have  used  this  fire-pot  nine  years, 
and  it  is  as  good  now  as  it  was  the  day  I  put  it  in  my 
shop.  There  is  no  sticking  of  cinders,  and  no  ce- 


BLACKSMITHING.  63 

menting  or  fitting  up  of  the  fire  is  necessary,  and  the 
saving  in  my  coal-bill  for  one  month  amounts  to  more 
than  the  cost  of  the  fire-pot. — By  J.  McL. 

BLACKSMITH  COAL. 

Though  little  is  said  regarding  the  coal  used  in 
a  blacksmith  shop  the  subject  is  one  well  worthy  the 
attention  of  all  interested  in  the  working  of  iron.  The 
three  coals  in  use  are  charcoal,  anthracite  and  bi- 
tuminous. For  all  purposes  charcoal  is  the  best* 
but  its  drawbacks  are  such  as  to  curtail  its  use. 
These  are  the  cost  and  the  time  needed  to  secure  the 
proper  combustion.  Except  in  extreme  cases,  it  is 
not  likely  to  come  in  use  again,  and  the  blacksmith 
must  therefore  depend  upon  the  mineral  coals. 

Bituminous  coal  possesses  more  of  the  essentials 
requisite  than  the  anthracite,  but  the  quality  is  an 
important  matter.  Some  is  more  gaseous  than 
others ;  then,  too,  there  is  the  oily  coal,  and  that 
charged  with  an  excess  of  sulphur ;  in  others  there  is 
a  great  deal  of  earthy  matter.  All  these  faults  exist, 
and  they  do  much  toward  retarding  the  work  of  the 
blacksmith  if  they  are  not  guarded  against.  It  is  not 
many  years  ago  when  all  blacksmith  coal  was  import- 
ed, but  the  Cumberland  coal  of  this  country  is  with- 
out doubt  the  best  that  can  be  procured.  It  is  re- 
markably free  from  earthy  matter,  ignites  quickly 
and  gives  a  powerful  heat.  Anthracite  "  dust,"  as 
the  fine  sif tings  are  designated,  works  well  if  the  blast 


64 


BLACKSMITHING. 


is  all  right,  but,  no  matter  how  fine  it  is,  it  does  not 
run  together  and  make  the  close  fire  of  the  Cumber- 
land. It  also  contains  greater  quantities  of  sulphur, 
which  operates  to  the  injury  of  the  iron.  Coke  has 


FIG.   30.— PLAN   OF  SHOP   CONTRIBUTED   BY    "D.    F.   H." 

been  used  to  a  good  advantage  where  the  fire-bed 
is  large  and  the  blast  strong,  but  it  does  not  lie  close, 
and  unless  the  blast  is  kept  up  it  smoulders  and  fouls. 


BLACKSMITHING.  65 

PLAN  OF  A  SHOP. 

I  inclose  you  a  sketch,  Fig.  30,  of  my  shop,  which 
I  think  a  very  good  one  for  a  country  place.  The 
forge  is  a  home-made  article  of  tank  iron,  3^  feet  in 
diameter,  the  bed  being  filled  with  brick  and  sand. 
The  bellows  are  hung  overhead,  and  are  connected 
with  the  forge  by  a  tin  tube.  A  place  is  made  in 
front  for  coal.  I  have  a  fire  alarm  that  I  am  intend- 
ing to  connect  with  the  house,  about  30  fee"t  away. 
-By  D.  F.  H. 

PLAN  OF  SMITH  SHOP  IN  A  NEW  YORK  CITY  CARRIAGE 

FACTORY. 

Fig.  31  makes  the  arrangement  of  forges,  anvils, 
benches,  etc.,  quite  plain. 

The  style  of  forge  used  in  this  shop  is  shown  in  Fig. 
32.  It  consists  essentially  of  an  oblong  iron  pan, 
a  hole  in  the  bottom  of  which  communicates  with  the 
tuyere,  contained  in  the  box-like  appendage  clearly 
shown  in  the  engraving.  The  entire  structure  is 
supported  on  four  legs  made  in  the  shape  of  angle 
iron.  A  long,  narrow  compartment  at  the  end  of 
the  forge  contains  fuel,  while  a  second  compartment 
of  about  the  same  shape  and  size  contains  water, 
thus  putting  it  in  a  much  more  desirable  position  and 
in  more  convenient  shape  for  use  than  the  old  tub 
so  common  in  country  shops.  Attached  to  the  out- 
side of  the  water-trough  is  a  small,  square  bench,  to 


66 


BLACKSMITHING. 


FORGE 


TOOL  BENCH 


CH 


BLOWEH 


TOOL  BENCH 


TORGl 


FIG,  31.— SMITH  SHOP  IN  A  NEW  YORK  CARRIAGE  FACTORY. 


BLACKSMITHING.  67 

which    is  fastened  an  ordinary  machinist's  vise,  as 
may  be  seen  by  the  engraving. 

This  forge  possesses  important  advantages  over 
the  common  brick  forge.  It  occupies  considerably 
less  space,  without  lessening  the  capacity  for  work. 


FIG.  32.— IMPROVED  STYLE  OF  FORGE. 

Its  construction  admits  of  the  shop  being  kept  clean 
around  it,  which  alone  is  a  feature  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  warrant  its  introduction.  Its  probable 
cost  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  a  brick  forge.  The 
fact  that  it  is  portable,  however,  gives  it  a  claim  for 
preference  in  this  particular.  It  is 


68  BLACKSMITHING. 

those  who  have  used  this  forge,  and  who  have  also 
worked  at  the  common  brick  forge,  that  it  will  save 
its  own  cost  in  a  single  year,  in  convenience  over  the 
latter.  The  position  of  the  water-trough  is  an  im- 
portant feature.  It  is  true  that  a  water-trough  of 
similar  construction  and  arrangement  might  be  at- 
tached to  a  brick  forge,  but  not  with  the  same  facility. 
The  character  of  the  material,  brick,  would  necessi- 
tate a  thick  surrounding  wall,  which  would  render  the 
arrangement  at  once  somewhat  awkward  in  appear- 
ance, and  in  comparison  with  the  iron  forge  quite 
inconvenient. 

A  rack  for  supporting  the  ends  of  bars  of  iron  in 
the  process  of  heating  is  so  arranged  as  to  swing 
clear,  under  the  forge,  and  yet  to  be  ready  whenever 
required.  The  brace  or  leg  shown  in  the  engraving 
is  long  enough  to  support  this  rack  in  any  position 
that  may  be  required. 

The  tool  bench  employed  in  this  shop  consists  of 
a  heavy  wooden  frame,  proportioned  somewhat  to 
the  load  it  is  to  carry  and  the  use  that  is  to  be  made 
of  it.  See  Fig.  33.  A  shelf  in  the  lower  part,  lo- 
cated but  a  few  inches  above  the  floor,  is  used  as  a 
receptacle  for  odd  tools,,  bits  of  iron,  and  the  general 
accumulation  to  be  met  with  around  any  blacksmith's 
fire.  The  sides  on  the  upper  part  are  carried  several 
inches  above  the  top  and  are  surmounted  by  an  iron 
guard,  which  extends  outward  and  is  continued  three- 
quarters  of  the  way  around  the  bench,  thus  .forming 


BLACKSMITHING. 


69 


an  opening  through  which  the  handles  of  the  various 
tools  may  be  dropped.  By  referring  to  Fig.  32  all 
these  particulars  will  be  made  clear. 

The  top  of  the  bench  is  also    perforated  by  two 
slots  and  by  sundry  odd  holes,  into  which  tools  are 


FIG.   33.— IMPKOVED   TOOL   BENCH. 


dropped.  A  small  gu^rd  extends  across  the  front  of 
the  bench,  on  a  level  with  the  top,  answering  a  simi- 
lar purpose. 

To  aid  those  who  may  wish  to  construct  a  similar 
bench  a  top  view  is  shown  in  Fig.  34,  and  another 
one  of  the  side  or  end  as  shown  in  Fig.  35,  upon  each 


BLACKSMITHING. 


of  which  dimensions  are  given  in  such  a  way  as   to 
'enable  any  one  to  work  from  them  if  desired. 


v^L 


anna 


J 


FIG.  34.— TOP   VIEW   OF  WORK    BENCH. 


r 


FIG.   35. — END  VIEW  OF  WORK    BENCH, 


BLACKSMITHING. 


Fig.  36  shows  a  style  of  smoothing-plate  or  smooth- 
ing bench  in  use  in  this  shop,  which,  it  is  claimed, 
answers  a  very  satisfactory  purpose,  and  would  con- 
stitute a  most  useful  adjunct  for  any  blacksmith's  shop. 
A  heavy  wooden  frame  supports  a  cast-iron  plate,  a 


FIG.   36.— SMOOTHING    BENCH. 

section  of  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  37,  and  which  is 
something  like  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches  thick. 
This  plate  is  made  quite  smooth  on  its  upper  surface. 
For  straightening  up  various  light  irons  used  in 


FIG.  37.— SECTIONAL  VIEW   OF  SMOOTHING  PLATE. 

wagon   and  carriage  work,  it   serves   a  useful  pur- 
pose. 

Fig.  38  shows  an  adjustable  trestle  used  for  sup- 
porting the  ends  of  vehicles.     A  screw  in  the  center 


72  BLACKSMITHING. 

raises  the  upper  bar  to  any  desired  height,  while  the 
guides  at  the  side,  by  means  of  holes  in  them,  and 
pins  to  fit,  give  it  stability  at  whatever  height  it  is 
placed.  The  upper  bar  is  padded  to  prevent  scratch- 
ing. The  entire  construction  is  light  yet  strong. 

A    PLAN    OF    A    BLACKSMITH    SHOP. 

I  find  the  arrangements  of  the  shop  I  am  about  to 


FIG.   38.— ADJUSTABLE   TRESTLE. 

describe  very  convenient,  and,  with  the  aid  of  the  il- 
lustration, Fig.  39,  they  can  be  very  easily  understood. 
A  denotes  the  shoeing  floor.  B  is  the  floor  for  plow 
work.  C  is  the  machine  and  wagon  floor.  D  is  the 
front  door,  which  opens  outwardly.  E  is  a  side 


BLACKSMITHING. 


73 


J  0 

V  V 


II       0 
V       V 


0 
0 
0 
o 
o 
°oO 


M 


\ 


FIG.   39.— PLAN  OF  "J.   E.  M/S"    BLACKSMITH   SHOP. 


74  BLACKSMITHING. 

door  that  slides.  F  is  another  sliding  door.  G  is  a 
double  forge.  HH  are  No.  i  Root  blowers.  /  is  a 
vise  post.  J  is  a  bolt  cutter.  A"  is  a  drill.  L  are 
iron  shears  that  will  cut  i-inch  square  iron.  M  is 
the  vise  bevel.  NN  are  tool  benches.  OO  are 
anvils.  P  is  a  mandrel.  <2  is  the  swedge  block. 
RR  are  windows.  S  is  an  erecting  bench.  TT  are 
vises.  £/  is  the  chimney.  WWV  are  pins  for 
iron.  X  is  the  tire  sprinkler. 

In  the  west  gable  there  are  two  windows,  and  in 
the  east  gable  one.  The  platform  in  front  of  the 
shop  is  12  x  24  feet.  That  on  the  south  side  is 
12x12  feet.  Both  are  of  2-inch  plank.  The 
sides  of  the  shop  are  9  feet  high.  The  roof  is  one- 
third  pitch.  The  shop  is  24  feet  wide  and  44  feet 
long. 

The  forges  are  open  underneath,  and  the  blowers 
that  set  under  them  are  connected  with  the  tuyere  by 
gas-pipe  passing  through  the  base  of  the  chimney. 
A  good  hand  will  earn  for  me  a  dollar  a  day  more 
with  these  blowers  than  with  the  best  36-inch  bellows 
I  ever  owned. — By  J.  E.  M. 

CARE    OF    THE    SHOP. 

To  do  good  work  one  must  have  good  tools,  as  it 
is  impossible  for  a  smith  to  forge  his  work  smooth 
unless  his  tools  are  in  good  order.  It  is  likewise 
necessary  for  him  to  have  good  coal ;  but  with  a 


BLACKSMITHING.  75 

shop  conveniently  arranged,  and  with  perfect  tools 
and  the  best  of  coal,  there  is  much  which  depends 
upon  the  way  in  which  they  are  used  that  determines 
the  character  of  work  and  the  relative  economy  with 
which  work  is  performed.  There  is  no  other  branch 
of  carriage  making  that  requires  so  much  skill  as  that 
of  the  smith.  This  is  because  he  has  no  patterns, 
like  the  wood-workman,  and  is  under  the  necessity  of 
shaping  all  irons  by  his  eye.  A  smith  has  more  to 
endure  than  any  other  mechanic,  for  if  there  is  any- 
thing wrong  about  a  job  the  smith  is  sure  to  get  the 
blame,  whether  it  be  his  fault  or  not.  The  strength 
and  durability  of  a  buggy,  for  example,  depends 
principally  upon  the  blacksmith.  If  smiths  would 
go  to  work  and  wash  their  windows,  clean  out  behind 
their  bellows,  pick  up  their  scrap  that  lies  promiscu- 
ously about  the  shop,  gather  up  the  bolts,  etc.,  they 
would  be  surprised  at  the  change  that  it  would  make, 
not  only  in  the  general  appearance  of  their  shop,  but 
also  in  the  ease  and  convenience  of  doing  work.  One 
great  disadvantage  under  which  most  smiths  labor  is 
the  lack  of  light.  Frequently  blacksmith  shops  are 
stuck  down  in  a  basement  or  in  some  remote  corner  of 
a  building.  It  is  a  fact,  whether  it  be  disregarded  or 
not,  that  it  is  easier  to  do  good  work  in  a  clean,  well- 
lighted  shop  than  in  one  which  is  dirty  and  dark. 

A  word  about  economy  in  work,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  younger  men  in  the  trade  especially.  Don't  throw 
away  a  bolt  or  clip  because  a  nut  strips,  but  go  to 


76 


BLACKSMITHING. 


work  and  tap  out  a  new  one  and  fit  a  new  nut.  Old 
bolts  that  are  sound  and  that  are  often  thrown  in  the 
scrap  are  just  as  good  for  repairs  as  new.  Careful 
attention  to  these  points  will  make  a  material  differ- 


FIG.    40.— A    HANDY   WORK    BENCH. 

ence  in  the  expenses  of  the  shop  in  the  course  of 
time.— By  B.  P. 

A    HANDY     WORK     BENCH. 

The  plan  of  a  work  bench  shown  in  Fig.  40  shows 
a  very  handy  arrangement  for  tools. 

The  legs  and  top  are  of  hard-wood.  Birch  is  very 
good.  The  ends,  back  and  open  space  in  the  bottom 
are  boarded  up  on  the  inside.  The  height  of  the  legs 
is  2  feet  10  inches,  length  of  body  4  feet  4  inches, 


BLACKSMITH1NG.  77 

width  of  end  i  foot  /  inches.  The  tops  can  project 
at  the  ends  to  suit  your  taste.  Three  drawers,  5  3-4 
x  1 1  inches,  are  on  the  left  side.  On  the  right  there 
are  three  5  3-4  x  1 1  inches  and  two  2  1-4  x  1 1  inches. 
The  middle  drawer  is  2  1-4x7  1-2  inches.  I  hinged 
a  strip  up  and  down  the  ends,  so  two  padlocks  would 
lock  all  the  drawers  except  the  middle  one.  Bolt  the 
vise  in  the  center  of  the  bench,  and  it  will  be  found 


FIG.  41.— PERSPECTIVE  VIEW   OF   TOOL   BENCH. 

very  convenient.     Such  a  bench  ought  not  to  cost 
over  ten  dollars. — By  H.  A.  S. 


BLACKSMITH  S  TOOL  BENCH. 


Inclosed  I  send   drawings  of  a  tool  bench,  such  as 
is  used  by  me,  which  I  think  handy  in  all  respects. 


BLACKSMITHING. 


The  bench  was  made  originally  from  an  old  box  that 
had  been  lying  around  our  shop  for  sometime.  Fig. 
42  shows  how  the  box  has  been  adapted  to  the  purpose. 
The  size  of  the  box  was  2  feet  8  inches  square,  and 


FIG.  42.— SIDE  VIE.W  OF  BENCH,   SHOWING  DIMENSIONS. 


2'S"  — * 

FIG.  43.— PROFILE  VIEW  OF  BRACKET.       FIG.  44.— TOP  VIEW  OF  BENCH. 

19  inches  high.  Four  posts  or  legs  were  attached,  as 
indicated  in  Fig.  41.  One  board  was  taken  off  from  the 
end  of  the  box,  and  out  of  it  was  made  the  shelf 


BLACKSMITHING. 


79 


shown  in  perspective,  in  Fig.  41.  This  left  the  opening 
into  the  box  below  the  shelf.  In  the  box  I  keep 
my  punches,  heading  tools,  etc.;  on  the  shelf  I  keep 
cold  chisels,  gouges,  punches  and  pins.  Below  the 
box  on  the  right-hand  side  I  have  placed  a  drawer  in 
which  I  keep  papers,  slate  pencils,  chalk  and  new 
files.  This  is  provided  with  a  lock  not  shown  in  the 
sketch.  Fig.  42  of  the  accompany  ing  Sketches  repre- 
sents a  side  view  of  the  bench,  and  also  shows  the 


i 


FIG.  45.— IRONS  BY  WHICH  THE 

FRAME  IS  FASTENED  TO 

THE  BENCH. 


FIG.  46.— THE  IRON  FRAME 

EXTENDING  AROUND 

TOP  OF  BENCH. 


shelf  A  in  profile.  The  different  dimensions  are  in- 
dicated in  figures  upon  this  sketch.  Fig.  43  shows 
a  profile  of  the  iron  which  forms  the  brackets  that 
support  the  shelf.  Fig.  44  is  a  top  view  of  the  bench. 
A  A  represent  the  front  where  the  bottom  swedges 
are  placed.  BBB  shows  the  position  of  the  handle 
swedges.  Fig.  45  presents  the  shape  of  the  twojj 
which  hold  the  frame  shown  in  Fig.  46  to  tl 


8o 


BLACKSMITHING. 


a  general  view  of  which  is  also  afforded  by  Fig.  41. 
Fig.  46  represents  an  iron  frame  which  goes  entirely 
around  the  bench,  and  serves  as  a  rack  for  tools.  It 
is  made  of  5-8  inch  oval  iron.  The  two  irons  shown 
in  Fig. 45  are  made  of  7-16  x  3-16  steel  tire.  In  fas- 
tening these  two  irons  to  the  frame,  the  hooks  come 
on  the  underside,  so  as  to  bring  the  frame  level  with 
the  bench. — By  Now  AND  THEN. 

A  CONVENIENT  WORK-BENCH. 

The   dimensions   of  the   work   bench   shown   in 
sketch,  Fig.  47,  are,  length   16  feet,  width  32  inches, 


FIG.  47.— A  WORK-BENCH  DESIGNED  BY  "  L.*S^  T." 

height  about  the  usual.  It  contains  sixteen  to 
twenty  drawers  and  twelve  to  sixteen  boxes  that 
extend  through  its  length  and  are  six  inches 
square  or  larger.  These  boxes  are  for  iron  bars 
such  as  1-4,  5-16,  3-8,  7-16,  1-2,  9-16,  5-8,  7-8,  round, 


BLACKSMITHING. 


81 


and  other  light  irons.     The  drawers  may  be  used  for 
horseshoes,  nuts,  washers,  etc.,  etc. — By  L.  S.  T. 

HOME-MADE  PORTABLE  FORGE. 

I  made  a  small  portable  forge  a  short  time  since,  as 


FIG.  48. — HOME-MADE   PORTABLE   FORGE. 

shown  in  sketch,  Fig.  48.  In  size  it  is  two  feet  square 
and  three  feet  high  ;  it  is  made  entirely  of  wood  ;  the 
bellows  are  round  and  are  sixteen  and  a  half  inches 
in  size,  I  covered  them  with  the  best  sheepskin  I 


82  BLACKSMITHING. 

could  get.  The  bed  of  the  forge  consists  of  a  box 
six  inches  deep.  It  is  supported  by  corner  posts,  all 
as  shown  in  the  sketch.  Through  the  center  of  the 
bottom  is  a  hole  six  inches  in  diameter  for  the 
tuyere  ;  this  is  three  inches  in  outside  diameter  and 
is  six  inches  high.  The  bed  is  lined  with  brick 
and  clay.  I  find  by  use  that  it  does  not  heat  through. 
The  bellows  are  blown  up  two  half  circles  with  straps 
from  a  board  running  across  the  bottom,  all  of  which 
will  be  better  understood  by  reference  to  the  sketch. 
In  addition  to  protecting  the  bed  by  brick  and 
clay,  the  tuyere  is  set  through  a  piece  of  sheet  iron 
doubled  and  properly  secured  in  place.  The  hood 
which  surmounts  the  forge  was  made  out  of  old  sheet 
iron,  and  has  been  found  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 
The  connection  between  the  tuyere  and  the  bellows 
is  a  tin  pipe. — By  S.  S. 

IMPROVED  BLACKSMITH'S  TUYERE. 

Perhaps  it  would  no't  come  amiss  if  I  gave  you  a 
sketch  of  a  tuyere  I  am  using  and  have  had  in  use  for 
twenty-five  years.  It  works  entirely  satisfactory  up 
to  a  certain  size  of  work.  For  example,  it  will  an- 
swer for  the  lightest  work,  and  weld  up  to  about  a  four- 
inch  bar,  and  is  made  complete,  or,the  castings  only 
are  furnished  by  the  Pratt  &  Whitney  Company,  of 
Hartford,  Conn.,  who  are  using  it  in  their  own  shops. 
It  consists,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  accompanying 
sketch,  Fig.  49,  of  a  wind-box  A,  supported  on  brick- 


BLACKSMITHING.  83 

work  which  forms  an  ash-pit  G  beneath  it.  To  this 
box  is  bolted  the  wind-pipe  B,  and  at  its  bottom  is 
the  slide  E.  In  an  orifice  at  the  top  of  A  is  a  tri- 
angular and  oval  breaker  D,  connected  to  a  rod  oper- 
ated by  the  handle  C.  This  rod  is  protected  from  the 
filling,  which  is  placed  between  the  brick-work  and 
the  shell  F  of  the  forge,  by  being  encased  in  an  iron 


FIG.  49.— SHOWS  POSITION   "J.   T.   B/S"  TUYERE  ON  THE   FORGE. 

pipe  /.  The  blast  passes  up  around  the  triangular 
oval  piece  D.  The  operation  is  as  follows  :  When 
D  is  rotated,  it  breaks  up  the  slag  gathered  about 
the  wind  passage  or  ball  in  taking  a  heat,  and  it  falls 
into  the  box  below.  At  any  time  after  a  heat  the 
slide  E  may  be  pulled  out,  letting  the  slag  and  dirt 
fall  into  the  ash-pit  beneath.  A  sectional  view  is 
seen  in  Fig.  50.  It  is  a  great  advantage  to  be  able  to 
clear  the  fire  while  a  heat  is  on  without  disturbing 


84 


BLACKSMITHING. 


the  heat.  You  will  see  that  there  is  nothing  to  get 
out  of  order,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  tuyere  will 
last  fifteen  years  or  more.  The  top  of  the  wind-box 
is  two  inches  thick  and  the  sides  y2  inch  thick  ;  it 
weighs  altogether  about  sixty  pounds. — By  J.  T.  B. 


THE  SHOP  OF  HILL  &  DILL. 
Prize  Essay  written  for  the  Carriage  Builder's  National  Association. 

The  carriage  shop  that  produces  one  hundred  new 
vehicles  annually,  without  steam  or  power  machin- 


FIG.    50  IS  A   SECTIONAL  VIEW   THROUGH    SLAG    BREAKER  D. 

ery,  has  joined  the  "  Society  of  the  Obsolete,"  but 
the  shop  of  about  that  capacity  without  power,  which 
makes  repairing  its  chief  dependence,  and  builds 
enough  new  vehicles  to  keep  the  shop  open  and  the 
help  at  work  through  seasons  when  repairing  is  dull 
seems  to  have  or  ought  to  have  a  place  in  the  indus- 
trial economy  of  mankind.  To  such  an  establish- 
ment Messrs,  Hill  &  Dill  have  pinned  their  indus- 


BLACKSMITHING.  85 

trial  faith  and  their  sign-board.  They  cater  to  the 
wants  of  those  who  desire  special  vehicles  out  of  the 
usual  line  of  sale  work.  They  build  extra  wide  car- 
riages for  fat  people,  give  extra  head  and  leg-room 
to  tall  people,  and  welcome  the  butcher,  the  baker, 
and  the  coal  money-maker,  when  they  come  to  order 
business  vehicles  with  special  features.  Even  the 
cranky  doctor,  minister  or  school  superintendent, 
who  thinks  he  has  invented  a  vehicle  which  will 
revolutionize  the  business,  is  not  frowned  upon. 
He  will  probably  want  a  good  sensible  Goddard 
to  ride  in  after  he  gets  through  fooling  with  inven- 
tions. 

To  thoroughly  know  the  establishment,  we  must 
know  the  firm.  Mr.  Hill,  the  capitalist  of  the  firm, 
was  formerly  in  the  livery-stable  business.  He  is  a 
solid-built,  shrewd,  tidy-looking,  affable  business 
man.  He  has  a  large  knowledge  of  carriages  as  a 
buyer  and  user,  and  paid  repair  bills  for  many  years. 
He  knows  a  good  horse,  a  good  carriage  and  a  good 
customer  at  sight,  and  knows  how  to  use  them  so  as 
to  get  the  most  out  of  them. 

Mr.  Dill  is  some  ten  years  younger  than  his  part- 
ner, tall  and  bony,  hair  rather  long  and  trousers 
rather  short.  The  corners  of  his  mouth  point  up- 
ward, and  he  looks  as  though  he  was  on  the  point  of 
laughing  out  loud,  but  no  one  ever  caught  him  in 
the  act.  He  talks  but  little,  and  is  endowed  with 
excellent  judgment  and  numerous  offspring.  He 


86 


BLACKSMITHINC. 


was   formerly  a  body-maker,  but  degenerated  or  de- 
veloped into  a  foreman  of  a  repair  shop.     He  takes 


co&l 


up. 


coal. 


0» 


0* 


blacksmith  shop 
04 

cm 
m 


j  - 


FIG.    51.— PLAN   OF  THE  BASEMENT   OF   HILL  &   DILL'S  SHOP. 

AAA,  Closets.    BBB,  Benches.    CCC,  Forges.    DD,  Bolts.    E,  Bender, 
F,  Bolt-cutter.    G,  Sink.    H,  Water-closet. 


BLACKSMITHING.  87 

the  world  at  its  best  and  makes  the  best  of  his  mis- 
haps ;  if  he  falls  down  he  manages  to  fall  forward, 
and  rise  just  a  little  ahead  of  where  he  fell.  Both 
he  and  his  partner  are  liberally  endowed  with  the  in- 
stinct that  leads  to  accumulation,  as  evidenced  by 
Mr.  Hill's  snug  bank  account  and  numerous  blocks 
of  real  estate  which  he  owns ;  and  a  visit  to  Mr. 
Dill's  attic  and  cellar  would  convince  the  most  scep- 
tical that  he  also  "  lays  up  "  everything  for  which  he 
has  no  present  use. 

The  first  floor  of  the  shop  is  level  with  the  side- 
walk and  the  grade  is  such  that  at  60  feet  from  the 
corner  there  is  a  full-size  window  (24  lights,  8  x  10 
in.,)  the  bottom  of  which  is  3  ft.  above  the  basement 
floor,  which  is  1 1  ft.  8  in.  below  the  first  floor.  The 
lot  is  64  ft.  on  Main  st.  and  130  ft.  on  Glen  st. 

The  shop  is  54 x  100  ft.  It  is  built  of  brick,  three 
stories  high  above  the  basement,  and  has  a  flat  grav- 
eled roof.  The  upper  story  is  10  ft.  high  between 
the  joists,  the  other  stories  and  basement  are  10  ft. 
6  in.  between  joists.  The  floor  joists  are  all  12  in. 
apart  to  centers,  2  x  12  in.  timber  for  the  upper  floor 
and  2  x  14  in.  for  the  other  floors  except  the  base- 
ment, which  will  be  explained  further  on.  The  out- 
er walls  are  16  in.  thick  up  to  the  upper  floor  and  12 
in.  above  that.  There  are  two  brick  partitions,  as 
shown  in  the  plans,  12  in.  thick,  one  running  across 
the  shop,  the  other  from  the  front  to  the  cross  parti- 
tion. These  run  to  the  upper  floor  but  not  above  it. 


88 


BLACKSMITHING. 


The  top  story  is  all   one  room,  except  the  elevator. 
It  is  unfinished  and  has  the  necessary  posts  to  sup- 


1 


office 


fire  hose 
*  grehades 

sink' 
water- 
t-loset 


closet  door 

trtmmiing-rooni. 


E 


wood-shoo 


I 


FIG.    52.--  -PLAN   OF  THE   FIRST    FLOOR. 

AA,  Closets.     BBB,  Benches.    C,  Rack. 


BLACKSMITHING.  89 

i 

port  the  roof.  It  is  used  entirely  for  storage.  The 
three  lower  floors  have  gas  fixtures  in  such  positions 
as  convenience  has  indicated.  Having  described  the 
building  in  a  general  way,  we  will  now  consider  the 
different  departments,  beginning  with  the  basement. 

The  blacksmith  shop  in  the  east  end  of  the  base- 
ment is  40  x  41  ft.,  entirely  above  ground,  and  light- 
ed on  three  sides  by  thirteen  full-size  windows  and 
glass  in  the  upper  panels  of  the  outside  door.  Four 
forges  are  located  as  shown  in  Fig.  51  of  the  accom- 
panying cuts.  The  bellows  are  hung  overhead,  and 
the  chimneys  are  set  out  from  the  wall  enough  to 
admit  of  the  wind  pipe  going  through  the  back  of 
the  chimney.  This  brings  the  front  of  the  forges  6 
ft.  from  the  wall.  The  flues  are  8  x  20  in.,  and  the 
chimneys  are  curved  back  and  into  the  wall  near  the 
top  of  the  room.  The  tool  benches  are  of  the  usual 
sort,  except  that  at  the  side  farthest  from  the  anvil 
there  is  a  double  slot  for  swages,  so  that  the  top  and 
bottom  tools  can  be  kept  in  pairs  together.  The  an- 
vils are  wrought-iron. 

There  is  a  smith's  and  a  finisher's  vise  for  each  fire, 
attached  to  the  benches  in  convenient  places.  The 
tire-upsetter  is  bolted  to  the  southeast  post.  A  hori- 
zontal drilling  machine  for  tires,  and  an  upright  one 
for  other  purposes,  bolt  cutter,  tire  bender,  two  bolt 
clippers,  two  axle  seats,  and  numerous  wrenches  are 
among  the  tools  of  the  smith  shop.  There  is  a 
good-sized  drawer  under  each  bench  for  taps  and 


9$  BLACKSM1THING. 

dies  and  other  small  tools,  two  cases  of  drawers  for 
bolts  and  clips  (located  as  shown  on  plan)  and  also 
part  of  the  "  furniture."  Another  convenience,  and 
one  not  usually  found  in  a  smith  shop,  is  a  set  of 
differential  pulley-blocks.  They  are  very  handy  on 
repair  work.  If  a  heavy  vehicle  comes  in  with  a 
spring  or  axle  broken  it  can  be  run  under  one  of  the 
several  rings  overhead  and  easily  raised  and  the  bro- 
ken part  removed.  With  them  one  man  can  raise 
i,ooolbs.,  and  they  cost  $13.00.  Coat  closets  are  pro- 
vided here,  as  in  all  the  other  workrooms  except  the 
varnish  rooms.  A  clock,  broom  and  grindstone  are 
also  found  here.  The  floor  is  2-inch  chestnut  plank 
laid  on  joists  bedded  in  concrete.  (It  is  the  same  in 
the  wheel  jobber's  room.)  The  remainder  of  the 
basement  has  a  concrete  floor.  The  northwest  part 
of  the  basement  is- used  as  a  blacksmith  store-room, 
and  occasionally  an  old  wagon  findsuts  way  in  there. 
The  coal-bin,  rack  for  bar  iron  and  tire  steel,  box 
for  old  scraps,  place  for  old  tire,  etc.,  all  find  accom- 
modations here. 

The  wheel-jobber's  room  on  this  floor  is  fitted  up 
with  special  reference  to  his  work.  He  is  required 
to  do  all  the  wheel  work,  examine  and  draft  all 
wheels,  old  and  new,  before  they  are  ironed,  set  the 
boxes,  fix  spring  bars  and  axle  heads,  etc.  He  is 
provided  with  wheel  horses,  hub  boring  machines,  a 
press  for  setting  boxes,  two  adjustable  spoke  augers, 
cutting  from  |  to  ii  inches.  One  of  these  he  is  ex- 


BLACKSMITHING.  9! 

pected  to  use  exclusively  on  new  spokes,  the  other 
for  old  work.  He  is  supplied  with  bits  of  all  sizes 
from  I  to  ii  inch  to  be  kept  and  used  exclusively 
for  boring  rims.  He  has  also  a  dozen  wood  hand- 
screws  and  a  dozen  iron  screw  clamps.  By  having 
a  jobber  near  the  smith  shop  it  saves  a  good  deal  of 
travel  to  the  wood  shop  and  back.  The  shop  is 
heated  by  steam,  and  as  no  steam  is  used  for  power 
a  low-pressure  i8-horse  power  heating  boiler  does 
the  business.  It  is  located  in  the  basement,  as 
shown  on  the  plan.  It  is  6  ft.  2  in.  high,  3  ft.  9  in. 
wide  and  8  ft.  4  in.  long  outside  of  bricks,  and  cost 
about  $500  ready  for  piping.  It  is  supplied  with 
water,  from  the  elevator  tank  on  the  upper  floor,  and, 
as  the  steam  returns  to  the  boiler  after  passing 
through  the  building,  but  little  water  is  used.*  The 
radiating  surface  consists  simply  of  coils  of  pipe 
placed  against  the  walls  in  convenient  places  in  the 
rooms  it  is  desired  to  heat.  On  the  north  side  of 
the  boiler,  4  in.  from  the  floor,  is  our  steam  box  for 
use  in  bending.  It  is  a  galvanized  sheet-iron  cylind- 
rical affair,  8  ft.  long  x  i  ft.  diameter,  with  the  open 
end  toward  the  wheel  jobber.  The  other  end  is  4 
inches  lower  and  has  a  drip  outlet.  It  is  supplied 
with  steam  from  the  boiler.  It  is  a  simple,  inexpen- 
sive contrivance,  but  as  most  of  the  bent  stock  is 
bought  ready  for  use,  it  answers  the  purpose  very 
well.  Besides  the  boiler  and  coal  bin,  this  part  of 
the  basement  has  a  bin  for  shavings  and  waste  wood, 


92  BLACKSMITHING. 

and  the  remainder  is  used  for  general  storage  pur- 
poses. 


FIG.    53.— PLAN   OF   THE   SECOND    FLOOR. 

A,  Sink.    B,  Water-closet.    C,  Wardrobe.    D,  Paint-bench. 


BLACKSMITHING.  93 

The  elevator  occupies  the  position  (as  shown  on 
plan)  near  the  center  of  the  building  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  the  two  brick  partition  walls,  which  make 
two  sides  of  the  elevator  shaft  strong  and  fire-proof. 
The  other  two  sides  are  brick,  12  in,  thick  from  the 
foundation  in  the  basement  to  the  upper  floor,  and 
8  in.  thick  above  that.  The  elevator  walls  are  con- 
tinued 2  ft.  6  in.  above  the  roof,  and  provided  with 
openings  on  all  four  sides  for  ventilation.  The  shaft 
is  covered  with  a  metal  frame  skylight.  The  eleva- 
tor and  shaft  (or,  rather  room),  serve  several  pur- 
poses :  First,  in  its  legitimate  and  more  important 
work  of  raising  and  lowering  carriages  and  stock 
from  floor  to  floor  ;  second,  as  a  ventilating  shaft ; 
and,  third,  as  a  wash  room.  It  is  a  hydraulic  tele- 
scope elevator,  run  by  water  from  the  street  main 
which  passes  the  premises  to  supply  the  neighboring 
city  with  water.  We  are  fortunate  in  being  located 
on  a  street  which  has  what  is  known  as  the  high  ser- 
vice main,  with  a  pressure  of  125  Ibs.  to  the  inch. 
75  Ibs.  will  run  it  satisfactorily  with  2,000  Ibs.  load, 
but  not  so  fast.  There  is  a  tank  on  the  upper  floor 
to  hold  the  exhaust  water,  which  is  forced  up  by  the 
descent  of  the  elevator.  It  is  then  carried  in  pipes 
for  use  in  different  parts  of  the  building.  By  using 
the  exhaust  water  for  other  purposes,  the  cost  of 
running  the  elevator  is  quite  small.  The  doorways 
are  arched ;  the  doors  are  made  of  light  lumber 
tinned  on  the  inside,  hung  on  hinges  (opening  out- 


94  BLACKSMJTHING. 

ward,  of  course).  They  close  by  a  spring  and  fasten 
by  a  catch  which  cannot  be  released  from  the  out- 
side except  by  pressing  a  short  lever,  which,  for  pur- 
poses of  safety,  is  placed  in  an  unusual  place  near 
the  floor.  At  each  floor  above  the  basement,  there 
is  a  light  hatch  covered  with  tin  sanding  on  its  edge, 
so  hung  with  hinges  that  by  releasing  it  (which  can 
be  done  from  the  outside)  it  will  fall  and  cover  the 
hatchway,  thus  cutting  off  draft  in  case  of  fire.  The 
car  or  platform  of  the  elevator  is  made  of  spruce 
lumber,  and  the  floor  is  2-inch  plank,  laid  crosswise 
with  i-inch  spaces  between  the  planks.  The  floor  of 
the  shaft  in  the  basement  is  concrete,  concave,  with 
an  outlet  near  the  center  (the  plunger  is  in  the  cen- 
ter) connected  with  the  sewer  and  provided  with  a 
stench  trap.  With  the  elevator  thus  arranged,  we 
have  a  wash  room  on  every  floor,  and,  on  the  first 
and  second  floors,  doors  opening  on  opposite  sides 
give  plenty  of  light.  The  elevator  shaft  also  serves 
a  good  purpose  as  a  ventilator,  ventilation  being  as- 
sisted by  the  elevator  passing  up  and  down.  The 
shaft  is  1 5  x  9  ft. 

The  show-room  is  in  the  north  front  corner  (see 
Fig.  52).  It  is  56  x  24  ft.,  and  has  two  plate-glass 
windows  at  the  northwest  corner.  It  is  sheathed 
with  good  pine  sheathing  and  painted  like  the  var- 
nish rooms,  a  very  light  drab.  This  room,  like  the 
office  and  varnish  rooms,  has  drab  window  curtains/of 
the  same  shade  as  the  paint.  The  furniture  of  this 


BLACKSMITH1NG.  95 

department  consists  chiefly  of  a  display  horse.  A 
few  harnesses  are  kept  for  sale,  and  a  team  is  kept 
hitched  up  continually. 

The  office  is  in  the  south  front  corner ;  it  is  8  x  17 
ft.,  has  two  windows,  and  lights  in  the  door.  It  is 
finished  the  same  as  the  show  room,  but  is  varnished 
instead  of  painted.  It  is  warmed  by  steam  from  the 
boiler  and  has  an  ornamental  radiator.  It  has  awash 
bowl  connected  with  the  water  pipes  and  the  sew- 
er. It  is  finished  with  a  desk,  safe,  four  chairs  (no 
lounge — none  of  that  business  done  in  this  shop), 
an  umbrella  stand  and  a  couple  of  spittoons.  There 
are  two  closets  in  this  room,  one  (the  smaller)  for 
coats,  etc.  The  other  has  three  drawers,  and  the 
remainder  in  shelves.  This  closet  is  for  back  num- 
bers of  the'trade  journals,  drawings  of  vehicles  it  is 
desired  to  preserve,  etc. 

The  wood  shop  is  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
first  floor.  It  is  40  x  25  ft.,  and  has  four  benches, 
as  shown  on  the  plan.  There  is  also  a  smaller  bench 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  room  on  which  there 
is  a  saw-filing  clamp  and  saw  set.  The  only  stove 
on  the  premises  is  in  this  room.  It  is  a  sheet-iron 
drum  stove  with  a  lid  on  top,  but  no  door  except  the 
ash  door  at  the  bottom.  Its  principal  business  is 
warping  panels.  It  has  a  strong,  smooth  piece  of 
horizontal  pipe  with  a  parallel  rod,  £  in.  iron,  under 
which  one  edge  of  the  panel  may  be  placed, 
passing  it  around  the  pipe.  The  other  furniture  of 

.    m 


96  BLACKSMITHING. 

this  room  consists  in  part  of  a  clock  and  a  broom, 
grindstone,  two  body-makers'  trestles,  four  horses, 
four  dozen  wood  hand-screws,  one  dozen  each  4,  5 
and  6  in.  iron  screw  clamps,  and  four  long  clamps  to 
reach  from  side  to  side  of  bodies. 

The  trimming  room  occupies  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  first  floor.  It  is  23  x  25  ft.,  and  has  a  bench 
running  the  whole  length  of  the  east  side.  It  is  large 
enough  to  accommodate  three  trimmers  and  a  man 
to  do  general  work,  such  as  oiling  straps,  polishing 
plated  work,  helping  hang  up  work,  fitting  axle 
washers,  shaft  rubbers,  etc.  His  bench  is  on  the 
north  side  and  has  a  vise  on  it.  The  sewing  machine 
is  on  the  opposite  side.  There  is  a  closet  for  cloth 
and  other  stock  under  the  stairs  leading  to  the  sec- 
ond floor.  The  small  room  (stock  room  on  plan)  is 
fitted,  up  with  shelving,  and  part  is  used  for  trim- 
ming stock,  the  rest  for  other  materials,  such  as  var- 
nish and  color  cans,  sandpaper,  files,  etc. 

The  paint  shop  occupies  the  entire  second  floor 
(see  Fig.  53),  and  in  case  of  necessity  the  room  back 
of  the  office  on  the  first  floor  can  be  used  for  such 
heavy  jobs  as  are  to  be  done  without  unhanging. 
The  room  at  the  northeast  corner  is  the  general 
work-room,  and  contains  paint  bench,  where  paints 
are  mixed,  paint  mill,  press  for  squeezing  colors  out 
of  the  cans,  water  boxes  for  paint  brushes,  coat  clos- 
ets, etc.,  but  there  is  no  corner  or  place  in  this  room 
nor  on  the  floor  suitable  for  a  collection  of  paint 


BLACKSMITHING.  97 

rags,  worn  sandpaper  and  discarded  tins.  A  sheet- 
metal  can  holding  about  a  bushel  is  provided  for 
this  debris,  and  it  is  expected  that  it  will  be  emptied 
each  day.  The  room  is  sheathed  overhead  with  J-in. 
matched  sheathing,  as  are  also  the  partition  walls. 

The  outer  brick  walls  are  bare.  The  two  rooms 
at  the  west  end  (front)  are  varnish  rooms.  Both  are 
finished  alike,  sheathed  with  J-in.  matched  pine  on 
all  sides  and  overhead,  and  painted  two  coats  very 
light  drab  with  enough  varnish  in  the  second  coat  to 
give  it  an  egg-shell  gloss.  Each  room  has  a  ventilat- 
ing flue  in  the  wall.  The  furniture  of  these  rooms 
consists  simply  of  the  necessary  trestle,  etc.,  on  which 
to  place  the  work  while  varnishing,  cup  stands  and 
brush  keepers.  There  is  also  a  thermometer  in 
each  of  these  rooms.  On  the  north  side  between 
the  varnish  room  and  the  work  room  is  a  room  into 
which  work  can  be  put  when  it  is  necessary  to  empty 
the  varnish  rooms  before  the  work  is  dry  enough  to 
hang  up.  When  not  needed  for  this  purpose  it  can 
be  used  for  varnishing  running  parts  or  for  storage; 
this  room  is  also  sheathed  and  painted.  The  small 
room  at  the  east  end  is  for  sandpapering  and  all  very 
dirty  work.  The  workroom  is  40  x  23  ft.,  the  var- 
nish rooms  25  x  24  ft.  and  25  x  26  ft.  respectively. 

The  lumber  shed  is  20  x  40  ft.  It  stands  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  lot.  The  posts  are  18  ft. 
high.  The  roof  is  graveled  and  has  just  slope 
enough  to  carry  the  water  off.  It  has  four  compart- 


98  BLACKSMITHING. 

ments  on  the  ground,  9  ft.  high,  for  heavy  plank,  and 
has  lofts  above  for  lighter  lumber.  It  is  boarded 
with  matched  boards,  and  has  ample  openings  for  air 
at  the  top  and  bottom  of  each  story.  The  west  side 
of  the  lower  portion  is  entirely  open,  and  the  doors 
to  the  loft  above  may  be  left  open  when  desirable. 
South  of  this  shed  is  a  place  for  a  fire  and  a  stone 
on  which  to  set  heavy  tires.  The  water  for  cooling 
this  is  brought  from  the  smith  shop  by  means  of  a 
rubber  hose. — By  WARREN  HOWARD. 


BLACKSMITHING.  99 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ANVILS  AND  ANVIL  TOOLS. 

HOW    ANVILS    ARE    MADE.* 

"So  the  carpenter  encouraged  the  goldsmith,   and  he  that  smootheth 
with  the  hammer  him  that  smote  the  anvil." 

This  is  the  first  and  only  mention  of  the  anvil 
found  in  the  Bible.  But  it  is  of  more  remote  origin 
even  than  the  prophet  Isaiah,  as  we  read  of  Vul- 
can forging  the  thunderbolts  of  Jupiter,  and  he  must, 
of  course,  have  had  an  anvil  of  some  sort  for  that 
style  of  blacksmithing  ;  probably,  however,  nothing 
better  than  a  convenient  boulder. 

The  anvil  and  the  anchor  are  two  of  the  oldest 
implements  known,  and  for  thousands  of  years  about 
the  only  ones  that  have  not  changed  in  general  form. 

The  modern  "  vulcan  "  now  has  a  hardened  steel 
face  provided  with  the  necessary  holes  for  his 
swedges,  which  with  the  round  projection  at  the 
other  end  terminating  in  a  point,  called  the  "horn," 
is  sufficient  for  every  kind  of  work. 

*  This  article  on  the  history,  description,  and  manufacture  of  anvils 
will  undoubtedly  be  found  of  interest  to  our  readers.  We  have  taken 
some  pains  to  inform  ourselves  on  this  subject  in  consequence  of  some 
unfavorable  comments  which  were  made  on  an  article  on  the  same  topic 
which  appeared  in  the  columns  of  The  Blacksmith  and  Wheelwright 
a  few  years  ago. — EDITOR, 


IOO  BLACKSMITHING. 

Except  those  made  in  the  United  States,  every 
manufacturer  of  anvils  has  a  body  of  wrought  iron 
under  the  steel  face.  The  horn  also  is  simply  of 
wrought  iron.  With  slight  modification,  the  method 
of  making  these  has  not  changed  for  hundreds  of 
years. 

The  body  is  roughly  shaped  out  under  tilt  ham- 
mers. In  the  better  grades  this  is  in  one  piece,  and 
called  "patent,"  while  in  the  German  and  most  Eng- 
lish works  the  four  corners  and  the  horn  are  "  jump- 
ed" on  in  separate  pieces.  Though  called  "wrought" 
this  is  of  the  lowest  grade  of  iron,  adopted  both  on 
account  of  cheapness,  and  because  the  subsequent 
process  of  welding  the  steel  face  to  it  is  easier  than 
with  the  more  refined  of  these  materials. 

For  the  same  reason  only  the  lower  grades  of  steel 
— viz.,  "shear"  steel,  or  even  "blister"  steel,  are 
used  for  the  face,  cast  steel  never  being  used  on 
account  of  the  greater  uncertainty  of  a  perfect  weld 
under  the  hammer  to  a  large  mass  of  wrought  iron. 

The  common  grade  of  English  anvils  and  all  those 
of  German  make  weld  the  steel  on  in  two  or  three 
pieces  according  to  the  size  of  the  anvil  ;  the  best 
English  brand,  however,  of  late  years,  has  the  face 
in  a  single  piece  of  shear  steel. 

For  this  the  wrought  iron  mass  is  brought  to  a 
welding  heat,  as  also  the  steel  plate,  the  welding  of 
which  begins  at  one  end. 

Four  strikers  swinging  heavy  sledge  hammers  to- 


BLACKSMITHING.  IOI 

gether,  do  this  welding  in  portions  of  about  five 
inches  of  its  length  at  a  time,  and  this  process  is  con- 
tinued by  successive  heatings  until  the  whole  length 
of  the  face  is  finished. 

The  cutter  hole  and  the  small  round  hole  in  the 
tail  are  then  punched  out,  the  iron  horn  rounded  off, 
and  the  whole  dressed  up  into  its  finished  shape  at  a 
subsequent  heating.  By  long  years  of  experience  at 
this  work  a  symmetrical,  good-looking  job  is  made. 

Any  inequalities  or  imperfections  in  the  face  are 
taken  out  by  grinding  crosswise  on  a  large  stone,  and 
the  anvil  is  then  ready  for  the  final  process  of  hard- 
ening. 

This  is  done  by  reheating  the  upper  portion  to  a 
red  heat,  and  a  stream  of  water  is  let  down  upon  it 
under  a  ten-foot  head.  The  temper  will  be  more  or 
less  uniform  according  to  the  quality  of  the  steel 
which  has  been  used,  and  the  greater  or  less  care  in 
the  heating  at  the  previous  stages.  The  soft  spots 
so  much  complained  of  by  blacksmiths  are  due  to 
these  inequalities  of  the  material  and  workmanship. 
The  thickness  of  the  steel  used  varies  from  three- 
eighths  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  anvil. 

The  whole  process  is  almost  entirely  one  of  man- 
ual labor  and  judgment.  Extreme  care  must  be  used 
not  to  burn  some  portions  of  the  steel  during  the 
welding  operation,  resulting  in  cracked  faces  and 
crumbling  edges,  which  the  blacksmith  frequently 


IO2  BLACKSMITHING. 

finds  to  his  sorrow  developed  in  his  anvil,  apparent- 
ly of  the  best  when  new. 

A  perfectly  welded,  wrought  iron  anvil  has  a  clear 
"  ring  "when  struck;  otherwise  it  is  a  pretty  good 
sign  that  there  is  somewhere  an  imperfection. 

From  the  nature  of  the  operation  as  above  describ- 
ed, it  is  evident  that  the  size  of  such  an  anvil  must  be 
limited.  They  vary  in  weight  from  one  hundred  to 
five  hundred  pounds;  the  largest  ever  made  being  one 
exhibited  at  the  Philadelphia  Centennial,  which 
weighed  960  pounds. 

There  are  no  wrought  iron  anvils  made  in  the 
United  States.  As  it  is  almost  entirely  a  question  of 
skilled  manual  labor,  and  as  there  has  never  been 
any  but  a  nominal  duty  imposed  (it  is  the  same  as 
on  spikes,  nuts,  and  washers),  all  the  wrought  anvils 
used  in  this  country  are  imported  from  Europe. 

In  1847,  tne  late  Mr.  Mark  Fisher,  believing  in  the 
possibility  of  welding  cast  steel  to  a  high  grade  of 
cast  iron,  which  had  up  to  that  time  been  unknown, 
discovered  a  perfect  and  successful  process  by  which 
the  two  metals  could  be  welded  together  in  any  desir- 
ed dimensions.  [The  largest  anvil  in  the  world  was 
made  by  the  Fisher  Eagle  Anvil  Works  for  the  Cen- 
tennial Exposition  in  1876.  Its  weight  was  i,6oolbs.] 
The  value  of  this  process  for  anvils  was  apparent, 
as  there  could  thus  be  obtained  a  perfect  working 
surface  of  the  best  quality  of  cast  steel,  capable  of 
hard  and  uniform  temper  on  a  body  which  from  its 


BLACKSMITHING.  IO3 

crystalline  and  inflexible  structure  would  never  settle 
or  get  out  of  shape  in  use — one  of  the  defects  liable 
to  occur  by  continued  hammering  in  anvils  with  a 
fibrous  wrought  iron  body  under  the  steel. 

It  also  enabled  a  steel  working  surface  to  be  ap- 
plied to  the  horn,  which  previously  had  been  only 
of  plain  iron. 

The  first  manufacture  of  these  anvils  in  this  coun- 
try began  under  his  patent  in  1847,  and  though  re- 
quiring many  years  to  perfect  and  establish  this  new 
and  essentially  American  anvil,  it  is  now  recognized 
as  a  better  article  than  the  old-fashioned  imported 
kind,  over  one-half  of  the  anvils  used  in  this  country, 
it  is  said,  being  made  by  this  process,  and  so  certain 
and  successful  is  it  that  they  are  the  only  ones  in  the 
market  fully  warranted  against  breakage,  settling  of 
the  face,  or  failure  in  any  respect. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  ordinary  cast  iron  would 
not  answer  for  a  tool  subject  to  such  severe  usage 
as  an  anvil. 

The  metal  employed  must  have  a  strength  equal 
to  that  in  gun  castings,  a  certain  elasticity  to 
stand  the  strain  of  high  heating  and  sudden  cooling 
of  the  tempering  process,  and  perfectly  sound  in 
all  parts.  Though  many  so-called  "  cast  "  anvils 
have  from  time  to  time  come  upon  the  market,  only 
one  concern  in  the  country,  and  that  the  original 
operating  under  the  Fisher  patents,  has 
produce  anvils  with  all  the  qualities 


104  BLACKSMITHING. 

necessary  in  these  tools.  The  mode  of  manufacture 
is  naturally  quite  different  from  that  of  wrought  iron 
anvils. 

The  steel  used  is  one  piece  for  the  face,  of  best 
tool  cast  steel. 

The  anvil  is  cast  bottom  side  up,  having  this  steel, 
as  also  the  steel  horn,  placed  in  the  "  drag  "  or  lower 
part  of  the  mold. 

Before'  filling  it  with  the  metal,  which  is  not  only 
to  form  the  body  of  the  anvil,  but  also  to  effect  in 
its  passage  the  perfect  welding  required,  the  steel 
face  and  horn  are  heated  to*$i  bright  color,  and  every 
part  of  their  exposed  surface  is  covered  by  the  molt- 
en metal.  After  the  necessary  annealing  this  rough 
anvil  is  removed,  trimmed,  planed  true,  and  put 
into  its  finished  shape,  the  cutter-holes  made  exact, 
and  it  is  then  ready  for  the  hardening  and  tempering 
process.  This  last  is  the  crucial  test,  for  both  iron 
and  steel  must  be  heated  to  a  high  point  and  then 
suddenly  plunged  into  the  cold  hardening  liquid. 
Should  there  be  any  spot  between  the  two  metals 
not  perfectly  welded,  the  steel  will  separate,  or  the 
whole  anvil  will  crack  and  fly  into  pieces;  so  that  if  it 
passes  this  stage  successfully  it  is  reasonably  sure  to 
be  perfect,  and  therefore  the -makers  can  safely  give 
a  full  warranty  to  the  purchaser. 

Recent  improvements  have  added  much  to  the 
value  of  this  make  of  anvil.  By  extending  the  steel 
part  of  the  horn  down  into  the  body,  all  danger  of 


BLACKSMITHING.  IO5 

breakage  of  the  horn  where  it  joins  the  main  part  is 
prevented.  Also  both  edges  of  the  steel  face  are 
made  of  double  thickness,  which  prevents  crumbling 
or  splitting  off  of  those  places  most  exposed  to 
severe  usage,  so  common  with  the  old-fashioned 
anvils. 

Two  peculiarities  distinguish  the  American  from 
the  foreign  anvil.  They  are  more  solid  from  the 
crystalline  structure  of  the  body,  and  therefore  do 
not  bounce  back  the  hammer  or  sledge,  thus  retain- 
ing all  the  effect  of  the  blows  in  the  piece  worked 
on,  and  the  steel  face  always  retains  its  original  true 
surface  for  the  same  reason.  Also  there  is  very  little 
"  ring  "  in  them,  and  this  peculiarity  is  sometimes 
urged  as  an  objection  by  those  accustomed  to  the 
wrought  iron  anvils.  « 

Nearly  <every  metal  trade  has  its  special  form  of 
anvil,  and  differing  from  that  of  the  blacksmith — such 
as  saw,  axe,  razor,  silversmith,  coppersmith,  shovel, 
Hoe,  plough,  and  many  others,  which  are  simple 
blocks  of  iron  with  steel  faces,  made  by  one  or  the 
other  of  the  two  above-described  distinct  and  oppo- 
site methods  and  materials. 

The  annual  importations  of  anvils  from  England 
and  Germany  into  the  United  States  exceeds  one 
and  a  half  million  pounds. 

The  price  of  all  anvils  is  now  less  than  one-half 
that  of  former  times,  when  we  were  compelled  to  ob- 
tain our  entire  supply  from  foreign  manufacturers 


IO6  BLACKSMITHING. 

and  importers,  and  before  the  discovery  of  the  pro- 
cess above  referred  to  made  American  competition 
possible. — By  "  EXPERT." 

DRESSING    ANVILS. 

The  expression,  "  I  wish  my  anvil  was  dressed," 
can  be  heard  every  few  weeks  in  very  many  black- 
smith shops.  The  work  which  the  smith  has  to  do 
oftentimes  requires  some  little  thought  in  the  make- 
up of  the  anvil  in  which  it  is  deficient,  hence  a 
considerable  hammering  of  the  iron  is  required  to 
obtain  the  shape  wanted.  I  have  noticed  that  nearly 
all  the  new  anvils  I  have  seen  are  wrong  in  the  de- 
sign of  the  face.  The  corners  of  both  sides  toward 
the  horn,  half  way  the  length  of  the  face,  should  be 
rounded  to  the  radius  of  about  one-quarter  of  an 
inch.  This  prevents  the  cutting  of  small  fillets  which 
are  often  required  in  iron  work  for  strength,  and  en- 
ables the  smith  to  get  his  work  near  the  anvil  with- 
out danger  of  cutting  the  fillet.  This  is  a  source  of 
comfort  in  many  cases.  It  is  also  more  agreeable  to 
scarf  iron  on  a  round  corner,  because  it  does  not 
cut  the  scarf  and  cause  it  to  break  it,  as  a  shaip 
corner  does. 

To  dress  an  old  anvil  requires  some  knowledge. 
It  is  necessary  to  know  how  to  go  about  it.  In  the 
first  place,  if  the  shop  is  provided  with  a  crane  it 
will  be  found  useful  in  the  work  to  be  done.  The 
tools  required  to  handle  an  anvil  are  two  bars  of  i^ 


BLACKSMITHING.  1C>7 

inch  iron,  one  of  them  six  or  eight  feet  long  and  the 
other  five  feet  long,  according  to  the  size  and  weight. 
The  length  of  the  bars  can  be  chosen  for  the  work 
according  to  the  smith's  judgment.  The  carrying 
bars  are  pointed  to  fit  the  holes  in  the  anvil  under 
the  heel  and  horn  and  also  the  bottom.  These  holes 
afford  the  most  convenient  way  of  holding  an  anvil 
either  in  forging  it  or  dressing  it.  The  construction 
of  the  fire  is  a  most  important  feature  of  the  work  in 
hand.  Throw  away  the  fine  burnt  coal  that  is  around 
the  fire,  and  build  the  fire  large  enough  with  good, 
fine  soft  coal.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  using  too  much 
coal,  because  in  rebuilding  the  fire  there  will  be 
plenty  of  coke,  which  will  be  found  useful.  When 
the  fire  has  obtained  a  good  bottom,  place  the  anvil 
face  nearest  the  horn  on  the  fire,  thus  heating  parts 
of  the  face  at  a  time.  Next  put  some  fine  cut  pine 
wood  alongside  the  anvil,  about  3  inches  high  and 
8  or  10  inches  long,  and  cover  it  all  over  with  soft 
coal.  When  the  wood  burns  out  there  will  be  a 
hollow  space  around  the  part  that  is  being  heated, 
which  will  allow  free  circulation  of  heat  and  flame. 
By  this  plan  it  will  also  be  possible  to  see  into  the 
work  through  the  openings  ihade  in  front  through 
the  crust  of  the  coke  or  fire  cover.  Through  these 
openings  on  either  side  the  operator  can  feed  the 
fire  with  broken  coke  as  it  burns  away.  If  the  top 
burns  through,  recover  the  burnt  parts  with  fine 
soft  coal  in  time  so  that  it  will  not  fall.  Do  not  let 


IO8  BLACKSMITHING. 

the    coke    touch    the   face    underneath,    because    it 
hinders  the  proper  heating. 

When  the  anvil  is  hot  enough,  place  it  on  the  floor 
or  block,  as  may  be  deemed  best,  and  then  let  two 
men  work  up  the  sides  together  at  the  part  heated 
with  their  hammers.  This  brings  up  the  metal  to 
build  out  the  corners  with,  and  also  to  level  the 
roundness  of  the  face.  Smooth  every  part  heated 
with  the  flatter  or  hammers  as  much  as  possible,  be- 
cause this  lessens  the  work  of  grinding  the  face. 
Use  a  square  in  order  to  see  that  the  work  is  level. 
Heat  again  along  the  face  and  finish.  When  it 
comes  to  the  heel,  have  a  square  pin  to  drift  the  hole 
out,  so  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  alter  the 
tongs  of  the  bottom  tools  employed  in  it.  Round 
off  the  corners  for  about  eight  inches  on  each  side  of 
the  horn.  Further  out  let  the  corners  be  sharp.  If 
a  piece  is  broken  off  the  corners,  make  a  wedge  of 
tough  toe-calk  steel,  amply  large  enough  to  fill  the 
space.  Have  a  clean  fire  and  plenty  of  coke  to  bank 
up  with.  Heat  the  broken  part  and  raise  up  the 
edges  with  a  fuller,  rounded  to  about  the  size  of  a 
silver  dollar,  3/%  of  an  inch  thick ;  then,  when  hot 
enough  to  work,  sink  the  chisel  in  far  enough  for  the 
purpose  and  drive  the  steel  wedge  in  the  opening 
thus  formed.  Then  heat  until  soft  enough  to  work 
and  fill  up  the  space.  Sprinkle  the  iron  with  cherry 
heat  welding  compound  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will 
get  between  the  iron  and  steel.  Heat  slowly  with 


BLACKSMITHING. 

plenty  of  clean  coke  and  flux  with  compound.  If 
the  heat  is  good  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  work- 
ing with  hand  hammers.  Cut  off  the  waste  on  the 
side  with  a  sharp  chisel.  If  the  horn  wants  setting 
up  a  little,  it  may  be  next  taken  in  hand,  as  there 
will  be  sufficient  coke  to  cover  it.  Do  not  let  the 
point  of  the  horn  set  above  the  level  of  the  face,  be- 
cause it  interferes  with  straightening  along  the  iron. 
To  heat  the  anvil  for  hardening,  place  supports 
under  the  carrying  bars  when  they  are  in  the  anvil. 
This  prevents  the  anvil  settling  in  the  fire.  Keep 
the  coal  from  the  face.  Build  with  fine  kindling  wood 
all  along  the  sides  and  heel.  Cover  with  soft  coal, 
not  too  wet,  then  blow  up.  When  the  wood  is  burn- 
ed up,  open  a  hole  through  the  back  and  front  of  the 
fire  for  circulation.  When  the  anvil  is  red  hot  on 
the  face  it  is  ready  to  harden.  Lower  it  in  a  box  of 
water  until  there  is  about  three  inches  over  the  face. 
A  piece  of  chain  with  hooks  to  it,  passing  around 
the  horn  and  underneath  the  heel,  the  point  dropped 
through  the  hole  to  prevent  the  chain  slipping,  a  long 
bar  passed  through  the  chain  loop,  will  be  sufficient 
to  keep  the  operators  far  enough  from  the  steam  to 
prevent  danger  from  scalding.  A  stream  of  water 
from  hose  on  the  upturned  face  of  the  anvil  will 
quickly  cool  it,  or  pails  of  water  speedily  used  from 
an  extra  supply  barrel  will  answer.  Anvils  are  usu- 
ally hardened,  not  tempered.  The  grinding  can  be 
done  with  a  travel  emery  wheel,  or  the  anvil  may  be 


no 


BLACKSMITHING. 


hung  with  a  rope  or  chain  in  front  of  the  breast  of  a 
stone  driven  by  machinery.  Taken  thus,  it  may  be 
passed  to  and  fro  across  the  stone,  and  twisted  and 
turned  without  the  least  inconvenience  from  its 
weight. — By  C.  S. 

SHARP  OR  ROUND  EDGES  FOR  ANVILS. 

"  Would  an  anvil  of  any  make  be  more  convenient 
if  both  edges  of  its  face  were  to  be  rounded  for  one- 
third  or  one-half  its  length  ?" 

t 


FIG.    54.— SHOWING  THE   EDGES. 

It  is  not  my  desire  at  this  time  to  discuss  the  rel- 
ative merits  of  different  makes  of  anvils.  What  I 
would  like  to  know  is  whether,  in  any  anvil,  there 
is  any  reason  for  having  the  edges  that  are  rep- 
resented by  the  lines  a  b  and  c  d,  in  Fig.  54  of  the 
accompanying  illustration,  sharp  instead  of  rounded 
to  a  curve  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  more  radius  ? 

I  believe  that  it  is  impossible  to  forge  an  interior 
angle  sharp  and  have  the  forging  round.  It  does 
not  matter  how  small  the  work,  nor  how  insignificant 


BLACK  SMITH  ING. 


Ill 


the  shoulder  that  is  formed  by  the  re-entering  angle, 
if  sharp  in  the  corner,  the  structure  of  the  iron  at 
that  point  is  destroyed  and  the  forging  weakened. 
The  weakness  may  not  at  first  be  apparent,  the 
forging  may  look  well  enough,  for  it  is  only  in  ex- 
aggerated cases  that  the  crack  or  "  cut"  is  actually 
found.  Now,  if  it  be  a  fact  that  sharp  inside  corners 
in  the  work  cannot  be  made  safely,  what  possible  use 
can  there  be  for  sharp  outside  edges  on  the  anvil  ? 
True,  I  have  seen  blacksmiths  cut  off  excess  of  stock 


FIG.   55.— PARTIAL  SECTIONAL  VIEW  OF  ANVIL   SHOWING  ROUNDED 

EDGES. 

over  the  edge  of  the  anvil  when  their  hardy  was 
duller  than  the  anvil ;  but  who  will  defend  them  in 
such  an  operation  ? 

For  my  own  part,  I  am  satisfied  not  only  that  the 
sharp  edges  are  useless,  but  that  they  are  also  de- 
structive of  good  work.  I  cannot  account  for  their 
existence  except  as  a  relic  of  a  time  when  the  princi- 
ples of  forging  were  but  little  understood.  I  want 
both  edges  of  my  anvil  rounded,  not  simply  foj 
part  of  thqir  length,  but  for  their  whole  lengl 


112  BLACKSMITHING. 

my  mind  the  ideal  anvil  of  1 30  pounds  is  one  having  its 
edges  from  a  to  b  and  from  c  to  d,  Fig.  54,  rounded 
to  a  curve  of  three-eighths  of  an  inch  radius  (as  at^?, 
Fig-  55>  which  is  a  partial  section  enlarged  on  the 
line  a,  b,  Fig.  54),  and  its  edges  from  b  to  c  and  from 
d  to  /"rounded  to  a  curve  of  three-sixteenths  or  one- 
quarter  of  an  inch  radius.  The  edge  from  e  to  /"can 
be  sharp  to  satisfy  the  unconverted. — By  X. 

DEVICE  FOR  FACILITATING    THE    FORGING    OF    CLIPS  FOR 
FIFTH    WHEELS. 

About  fourteen  years  ago  I  was  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  fifth  wheels  on  a  small  scale,  and 
having  to  devise  appliances  and  often  to  extem- 
porize means  to  more  effectually  facilitate  matters, 
among  other  "  kinks"  I  introduced  the  following, 
which  has  given  me  a  good  return  for  the  trifling 
change  it  makes  in  the  usual  method  of  using  the 
"  ass  "  of  the  anvil.  It  is  well  known  that  in  the  or- 
dinary style  of  working  this  part  of  the  anvil  soon 
becomes  imperfect  or  depressed,  as  shown  at  D  in 
the  accompanying  illustration,  Fig.  56.  My  plan  is  to 
drill  immediately  below  the  steel  face,  and  about  two 
inches  from  the  front  end  of  the  anvil  face,  three  ^- 
inch  holes,  thus  forming  a  round  angled  triangular 
hole,  C,  through  the  anvil.  On  removing  the  core 
left,  I  have  a  conveniently  shaped  hole  that  will  ac- 
commodate almost  any  size  clip,  and  enable  me  to 
swage  it  very  true,  quick  and  perfect,  with  less  effort 


BLACKSMITHING.  113 

to  retain  it  square,  than  is  required  by  the  old  plan. 
I  have  not  seen  this  idea  put  into  practice  anywhere 
else,  although,  having  been  otherwise  engaged  for 
the  last  twelve  years,  it  may  have  been  \ised  by  others 
without  my  knowledge.  The  hole  does  not  weaken 
the  anvil  enough  to  injure  it,  and  I  was  surprised  at 


FIG.    56.— DEVICE   FOR  FACILITATING  THE   FORGING   OF  CLIPS    FOR 
FIFTH  WHEELS. 

the  durability  of  this  portion  of  the  face  after  two 
years'  constant  use  on  four  or  five  anvils.  They  were 
as  good  anvils  as  we  could  get. — By  W.  D. 

PUTTING  A  HORN  ON  AN  ANVIL. 

I  have  put  three  horns  on  broken  anvils,  and  I 
have  worked  on  one  of  these  anvils  for  fourteen 
years.  My  method  of  doing  the  job  is  as  follows  : 

I  first  .cut  the  mortise,  cutting  in  straight  about 
three-quarters  of  an  inch,  then  cut  out  the  corners  ;  of 
course  it  has  to  be  done  cold.  Commence  well  down 


114  BLACK-SMITHING. 

below  the  steel,  then  lay  out  the  tenon  on  the  horn, 
heat  it  and  cut  with  a  thin  chisel,  fit  tight,  and  drive 
together  with  a  sledge.  If  there  are  any  open  places 
between  the  anvil  and  horn,  drive  in  thin  wedges  as 
hard  as  possible.  Cut  off  very  close,  and  take  the 
fuller  and  head  the  iron  over  them,  and  then  put  in 
the  die  and  head  that  in.  If  it  gets  a  little  loose 
after  a  while,  take  the  fuller  and  head  it  again.  It 
has  always  taken  me  about  a  day  to  do  this  job.  I  n  the 


FIG.  54. — PUTTING  A  HORN  ON  AN  ANVIL  BY  THE  METHOD  OF  "  C.  H." 

accompanying  illustration,  Fig.  57,  is  shown  my  way 
of  doing  it.  A  represents  the  dove-tail  mortise,  B  is 
the  horn,  and  C  is  the  die  used  to  fill  up  the  mortise 
after  the  horn  is  driven  to  its  place. — By  C.  H. 

FASTENING    AN    ANVIL    TO    THE    BLOCK. 

A  simple  and  effective  way  to  fasten  an  anvil  to  a 
block  is  to  make  a  square  iron  plug  to  fit  tightly 
the  hole  in  the  bottom  of  anvil,  and  a  similar  hole  in 


BLACKSMITHING.  115 

center  of  block.  Then  you  can  have  the  block  just 
the  size  of  the  anvil  and  no  fixings  in  the  way,  or 
even  in  sight. — By  WILL  TOD. 


FASTENING    ANVILS. 

Concerning  the  proper  method  of  fastening  anvils 
in  position,  I  would  say  that  it  only  requires  to  flatten 
each  corner  of  the  anvil.  Drill  a  half-inch  hole  and 
pass  a  half-inch  square-headed  bolt,  ten  inches  long, 
down  through  the  hole  into  the  block,  with  the  nut  so 
arranged  as  to  receive  the  end  of  the  bolt.  By  fas- 
tening the  anvil  in  this  way  there  will  be  no  obstruc- 
tions whatever.  I  am  notable  to  send  a  drawing  of 
this  means  of  fastening  an  anvil,  but  think  every 
practical  smith  will  readily  understand  it  from  the 
description. — By  J.  W.  F. 

HOLDING    AN    ANVIL    TO    THE  BLOCK. 

To  fasten  an  anvil  to  the  block,  I  use  a  chain 
of  the  proper  length  with  an  eye  bolt.  It  is  passed 
over  the  anvil,  and  the  eye  is  then  screwed  into  the 
block  on  the  front  and  back. 

The  eye  bolt  is  then  passed  through  the  eye  in 
the  block  and  screwed  down  until  it  is  tight.  When 
fixed  in  this  manner  an  anvil  cannot  move.  The  de- 
vice is  so  simple  that  it  is  not  much  work  to  make  it, 
—By  H.  N.  P, 


IIO  BLACKSMITHING. 

SHARPENING    CALKS — A  DEVICE     FOR      HOLDING 
AND    OTHER    WORK    ON    THE    ANVIL. 


SHOE 


In  all  places  where. the  roads  are  icy,  it  pays  those 
who  use  horses  to  have  steel  calks  in  the  heels  as 


FIG.   58.— DEVICE  FOR  HOLDING  WORK  ON  THE  ANVIL. 

well  as  in  the  toes  of  their  shoes.  In  different  places 
where  I  have  worked  various  methods  have  been  em- 
ployed to  obtain  a  self-sharpening  and  durable  calk. 
The  best  plan  I  have  ever  tried  is  to  split  the  heel- 
calks  with  a  thin  chisel,  and  insert  a  piece  of  steel 
(old  sickle  sections  are  good)  previously  cut  to  the 


BLACKSMITHING.  117 

proper  size  ;  then  weld  solid,  draw  sharp,  and  temper 
hard.  It  used  to  require  a  helper  to  hold  the  shoe 
with  tongs  on  the  anvil,  or  it  would  jump  off  in  split- 
ting the  heels  ;  but  I  have  studied  out  a  contrivance 
that  I  think  may  be  of  use  to  all  brother  smiths  who 
think  my  way  worth  adopting.  I  will  try  to  explain  it, 
with  the  aid  of  the  accompanying  illustration,  Fig.  58, 
in  which  C  is  a  foot  lever  hung  in  the  center  by  two 
staples  on  a  right-angle  iron,  D,  which  is  sharpened 
at  each  end,  one  end  being  driven  into  the  anvil- 
block,  B,  and  the  other  into  the  floor.  To  this  foot- 
treadle  is  bolted  or  riveted  a  strap  with  an  eye 
connected  to  the  rod  £,  which  latter  has  eyes 
on  both  ends,  and  is  connected  with  F F,  which  is  in 
one  piece  of  5-8  round  iron,  flattened  where  it  comes 
on  the  anvil  face.  Before  being  bent,  F  is  passed 
through  two  eyes  which  are  fastened  to  .the  front  of 
the  anvil-block  with  screw-bolts.  When  a  man  has 
no  helper,  this  device  is  often  useful  in  holding  other 
kinds  of  work  on  the  anvil  for  punching,  etc.,  and 
saves  one  man's  time.  When  there  is  no  such  work 
to  be  done,  it  can  be  taken  off  and  laid  aside. — By 
C.  H.  W. 

MENDING   AN    ANVIL. 

I  will  try  to  describe  a  job  that  was  done  lately  in 
the  shop  I  am  working  in. 

The  base  of  a  wrought-iron  anvil  had  been  broken 
off  as  shown  in  Fig.  59.  Not  wishing  to  throw  the 


1 1 8  BLA.CKSMITHING. 

anvil  away,  the  boss  told  us  to  try  to  repair  it,  and  we 
did  it  in  the  following  manner  : 

We  first  looped  a  piece  of  i^-inch  iron  around  the 
end  of  the  anvil,  with  a  flat  spot  just  above  the  loop 
on  which  to  catch  a  hook  so  as  to  enable  us  to  handle 
it  better.  We  next  put  what  I  call  a  binder  of  5-8 


FIG.   59.— THE  ANVIL  AND  THE   PIECE   USED   IN   MENDING  IT. 

round  iron  around  the  beak  iron  to  prevent  the  por- 
ter bar  from  slipping  off.  Next  we  got  out  a  piece 
of  iron  something  the  shape  of  the  piece  A,  in  Fig. 
59,  with  a  bar  welded  on  the  side  for  handling.  This 
piece  was  about  as  wide  as  the  body  of  the  anvil. 
We  then  put  the  anvil  in  the  fire  to  prepare  it  for 
welding,  which  was  done  by  cutting  away  the  uneven 


BLACKSMITHING. 


119 


places  and  scoring  it  with  a  chisel.  We  then  put 
the  anvil  in  the  fire  for  a  weld,  building  the  fire  up 
especially  for  it.  The  piece  to  be  welded  on  was 


FIG.  60.— SHOWING  HOW  THE   PIECE  WAS   WELDED  ON  AND  SHAPED. 

brought  to  a  heat  in  a  separate  fire.  When  all  was 
ready  the  anvil  was  carried  out  of  the  fire  by  the  aid 
of  a  bar  of  iron  run  through  the  loop,  and  turned 


FIG.   6l. — THE   ANVIL  AS   MENDED. 

into  position  by  the  use  of  the  hook  and  the  flat  spot 
on  the  bar.  The  piece  was  then  welded  on  and  put 
into  shape  with  a  big  fuller,  which  left  the  job  as 
seen  in  Fig.  60.  The  side  was  then  scored  and  the 


1 2O  BLACKSMITHING. 

anvil  put  back  into  the  fire  for  a  side  heat  while  the 
piece  B  was  made.  It  was  brought  to  a  heat  by  the 
time  the  anvil  was  hot,  and  then  they  were  brought 
out  and  welded  and  put  into  shape  like  the  end  piece. 
The  other  side  was  then  put  through  the  same  pro- 
cess, and  the  whole  touched  up  with  fuller  and 


FIG.  62.— METHOD   OF    HOLDING   AN   ANVIL  IN  POSITION. 

flatter,  which  left  the  job  in  good  shape  as  shown  in 
Fig.  61,  and  as  good  as  new. — By  APPRENTICE. 

FASTENING  AN  ANVIL  IN  POSITION. 

I  enclose  you  a  drawing  which  shows  a  method  for 
fastening  an  anvil  down  to  the  block  that  may  be 
of  interest  to  some  of  your  readers.  The  fastening 
irons  consist  of  two  3-8-inch  round  rods  or  clips  that 
are  bent  around  the  anvil  and  block,  as  shown  by  A 
A  in  Fig.  62.  At  X  there  is  a  piece  of  /-8-inch 


BLACKSMITHING.  121 

square  iron  run  through  the  block.  Four  holes  are 
drilled  in  this  piece,  the  square  iron  through  which 
the  clips  A  A  pass  and  into  which  they  are  fastened 
with  nuts.  The  threads  on  the  rods  should  be  one 
inch  longer  on  each  end  than  they  are  needed,  so 
that  in  case  the  anvil  ever  becomes  loose  it  will  be 
possible  to  draw  it  down  by  means  of  the  nuts. 
Fig.  63  of  the  sketches  shows  the  details  of  the 
parts.  I  think  this  fastening  is  one  of  the  best  that 
I  have  ever  seen,  and  it  is  easy  to  make.  It  keeps 


FIG.  63.  — DETAILS   OF  DEVICE   SHOWN    IN    FIG.  62. 

the  block  from  being  split  and  driven  full  of  spikes. 
I  have  never  seen  a  better  plan  for  holding  an 
anvil  than  this. — By  H.  R.  H. 

FASTENING  AN  ANVIL  IN  POSITION. 

I  enclose  some  rough  sketches  setting  forth  my 
ideas  of  the  fastenings  for  an  anvil.  In  the  first 
place  I  do  not  have  my  anvil  block  any  larger  than 
the  anvil  base.  I  use  braces  as  shown  in  the  engrav- 


122 


BLACKSMITHING. 


ing,  Fig.  64.  The  strap  is  made  of  i  ^  by  ^-inch  iron 
bent  and  flatways.  Each  end  has  a  piece  of  24 -inch 
round  iron  welded  on  to  it.  Referring  to  the  letters 
in  the  engraving,  A  represents  the  strap  going 
around  the  foot  of  the  anvil  to  receive  B.  On  each 


FIG.  64.—";.  T.   B.'S"    METHOD    OF    FASTENING  AN   ANVIL. 

side  of  the  block  on  which  the  anvil  rests  a  notch  is 
cut  to  receive  B.  Referring  to  "  H.  R.  H.'s"  plan 
(see  page  120),  I  would  say  that  to  me  it  appears 
that  his  fastenings  would  not  amount  to  much  unless 
their  size  was  greatly  increased.  With  this  I  think 


BLACKSMITHING. 


123 


there  is  at  least  four  times  as  much  work  to  cut  a 
square  hole  quite  through  the  block  as  there  is  to 
have  notches  cut  one  on  each  side  as  indicated  in  my 
sketch.— By].Ti.  B. 

FASTENING  ANVILS  IN  POSITION. 

I  enclose  a  sketch,  Fig.65,  representing  my  own  plan 
for  holding  an  anvil  in  position.     It  serves  the  pur- 


FIG     65.— "  M.   R.   R.'S"    METHOD  OF   FASTENING   AN   ANVIL. 

pose  well  and  is  easily  applied.  The  drawing  so 
clearly  shows  the  idea  that  very  little  explanation  is 
necessary.  By  means  of  mortises  in  the  sides  of  the 
block,  nuts  are  inserted,  into  which  bolts  are  screwed, 
as  shown  in  the  sketch.  The  short  pieces,  against 
which  the  heads  of  the  bolts  rest,  are  shaped_ 


1*  ^ 


1 24  BLACKSMITHING. 

a  manner  as  to  be  driven  by  their  outer  ends  into  the 
block,  thus  holding  them  securely  in  place,  and  act- 
ing as  a  leverage  in  connection  with  the  bolt  for 
holding  the  anvil  more  securely.  The  depth  at 
which  the  mortises  in  the  sides  of  the  blocks  is  made 
should  be  far  enough  from  the  top  to  give  sufficient 
strength  for  clamping  the  anvil  solidly  in  position. 
The  braces  at  the  side  of  the  foot  of  the  anvil  need 


FIG.  66.— SELF-ACTING   SWEDGE  DESIGNED    BY   "  E.   M.   B." 

not  project  more  than  1-2  or  3-4  of  an  inch  from  the 
anvil.  Bolts  1-2  inch  in  diameter,  or  larger,  should 
be  used,  according  to  the  weight  of  the  anvil  to  be 
held. 

A  SELF-ACTING  SWEDGE.. 

I  send  herewith  a  representation,  Fig.  66,  of  a  self- 
acting  swedge  for  rounding  up  small  work  on  the  an- 
vil without  a  striker  or  help.  It  sets  into  the  anvil 
like  an  ordinary  swedge,  and  the  blacksmith  strikes 


BLACKSMITHING.  125 

with  his  hand-hammer  on  top.  It  is  made  of  iron, 
with  a  steel  spring,  which  should  be  i  to  i  1-2  inches 
wide  by  1-4  inch  thick. — By  E.  M.  B. 


MAKING  A  PUNCH. 


I  send  a  sketch,  Fig.  67,  of  a  punch  which  I  made 
for  my  own  use  and  find  a  very  convenient  tool.  It 
can  be  constructed  so  as  to  punch  to  the  center  of  any 
sheet.  The  part  D,  shown  in  the  illustration,  is  dove- 


FIG.  67. — PUNCH   MADE  BY  "H.  S." 

tailed,  so  that  any  size  of  die  can  be  used.  The  punch 
is  made  of  3-4  or  7-8  inch  square  steel,  with  the  point 
forged  to  the  required  size  and  with  a  small  center 
to  catch  the  center  mark  of  the  work.  The  machine 
is  made  to  lie  on  the  anvil,  and  part  A  is  welded  on 
to  fit  the  square  hole  in  the  anvil.  In  using  it,  the 
punch  is  placed  in  the  center  mark  of  the  work  by 
hand,  and  the  work  is  held  firmly  while  the  helper 
gives  a  good  solid  blow  with  the  sledge.  I  have 


126  BLACKSMITHING. 

used  one  for  four  years.  It  will  punch  7-i6-inch 
round  and  square  holes  through  1-4  and  5-i6-inch 
plow  steel. — By  H.  S. 

MAKING  AN  ANVIL  PUNCH. 

I  will  try  to  describe  an  anvil  punch  that  I  made  in  my 
shop  at  an  expense  of  two  dollars  only.  I  have  a  set  of 
six,  the  sizes  being  1-4,  3-8,  1-2,  5-8,  3-4  and  i  in.,  and 
I  think  every  blacksmith  should  have  a  set  of  them. 
With  the  1-4  in.  and  3-8  in.  size  1  can  punch  cold  iron 
up  to  5-16  in.  thickness.  With  the  1-2,  5-8,  3-4,  and  i  in. 
sizes  I  can  punch  3-8  in.  iron  cold.  I  can  punch  steel 
saw  blades  as  easily  as  band  irons,  and  as  the  punch 
is  used  in  the  square  hole  in  the  anvil  like  any  other 
anvil  tool  it  does  not  take  lo.ig  to  change  from  one 
size  of  punch  to  another.  The  tool  is  made  as  fol- 
lows :  I  take  a  piece  of  Swedish  iron  i^  in.  x  ^  in. 
and  10  inches  long,  upset  it  a  little  on  one  end,  then 
take  a  piece  of  good  steel  and  cut  off  a  square  piece 
i  y2  in.  x  i  y2  in.  and  weld  it  firmly  on  the  large  end  of 
the  iron.  Then  I  take  a  hand  punch  and  punch  a  hole 
in  the  center  of  the  steel,  making  the  hole  a  little 
larger  than  that  which  the  punch  is  to  cut  when  fin- 
ished. The  punch  should  be  driven  from  the  iron 
side  to  make  the  hole  largest  on  the  bottom,  s.o  that 
the  punchings  will  drop  out.  I  then  heat  the  other 
end,  cut  it  half  off  \y2  in.  from  the  end,  bend  it  over 
and  weld  it  well,  then  take  a  square  punch  and  punch 
and  work  out  a  3-4  in.  hole  which  must  be  perfectly 


BLACKSMITHING. 


127 


true.    The  punch  will  then  look  as  in  Fig.  68.    Then  I 
take  an  iron  the  same  size  as  the  square  hole  in  my 


FIG.  68. — SHOWING  THE   PIECE   AFTER  WELDING,   SHAPING  AND 
PUNCHING. 

anvil,  and  weld  it  on  the  bottom  side  of  the  punch 
2*^  in.  from  the  round  hole  in  the  punch,  which  is  now 


FIG.  69.  -SHOWING  THE   PIECE   READY   FOR   FILING,   DRESSING    AND 

BENDING. 

like  Fig.  69,  and  is  ready  to  be  filed  off  and  dressed. 
Then  I  take  a  piece  of  3-4  in.  square  cast  steel,  cut  off 


FIG.  70. — THE  TOP   DIE   OF  THE   PUNCH. 

6  inches,  draw  it  down  and  file  one  end  so  as  to  fit  the 
round  hole  in  the  die  of  the  punch.    .1  make  the  top 


128 


BLACKSMITHING. 


die  of  the  1-4  in.  punch  5-16  in.  long  on  the  round  part. 
For  larger  punches  the  dies  should  be  larger.  Fig.  70 
represents  the  top  die  when  finished.  I  then  heat  the 
punch,  bend  it  so  that  the  two  holes  will  be  in  a  line, 
fit  in  the  top  die  and  make  sure  that  it  goes  perfectly 
true  into  the  hole.  Let  it  cool  slowly,  and  when  it  is 


FIG.   71. — THE    ANVIL   PUNCH  COMPLETED. 

cool  see  that  the  face  of  the  bottom  die  is  all  right, 
and  that  the  die  works  straight  and  easily.  Temper 
as  you  would  for  any  tool  intended  to  cut  iron.  Fig. 
71  represents  the  punch  when  finished. — By  N.  C.  M. 

FORGING  A  STEEL  ANVIL. 

I  would  like  to  say  a  few  words  about  forging  cast 
steel  anvils.  Fig.  72  of  the  engraving  annexed  shows 


BLACKSMITHING. 


I29 


the  steel  split  and  ready  for  the  fullering.    In  Fig.  73 
it  is  seen  fullered  and  forming  the  outline  of  an  an- 


no. 72.— SHOWING  THE  PIECE  SPLIT  AND  READY  FOR  FULLERING. 

vil.     The  ends,  when  fullered  to  the  proper  shape, 
will  form  the  face  and  bottom.     In  doing  this  it  must 


FjG.  73.— SHOWING  THE  STEEL   FULLERED   AND   FORMED  INTO  THE 
OUTLINE  OF  AN   ANVIL. 

be  fullered  on  four  sides  and  at  the  bottom,   and 
drawn  to  the  thickness  proper  for  a  face.     After  it  is 


130  BLACKSMITHING. 

fullered  it  is  brought  back  intoplace  and  trimmed  to 
the  right  length,  as  indicated  in  the  dotted  lines  of 
Fig.  73.  Fig.  74  shows  the  job  completed.  The  steel 
should  be  chosen  to  correspond  with  the  size  of  the 


FIG.   74.— SHOWING  THE   FINISHED  ANVIL. 

anvil  desired.  I  don't  think  this  method  I  have  de- 
scribed would  answer  for  a  hundred-pound  anvil,  but 
it  is  convenient  in  making  one  from  five  to  twenty 
pounds. — By  C.  E. 


BLACKSMITHING. 


CHAPTER  V. 
BLACKSMITHS'  TOOLS. 

In  this  connection,  tongs,  hammers  (not  mentioned 
elsewhere)  and  various  other  tools  commonly  used 
by  blacksmiths,  will  be  illustrated  and  described. 

THE  PROPER  SHAPE  OF  EYES  FOR  TOOL-HANDLES. 

To  properly  fasten  a  handle  in  a  tool  is  not  so 

A 


FIGS.  75  AND  76.— CORRECT  SHAPE  OF  EYE  FOR  TOOL-HANDLE. 

simple  as  it  appears,  and  that  is  the  reason  that  we 
so  often  see  them  improperly  handled,  as  is  evidenced 
by  their  so  easily  coming  loose.  I  have  a  chipping- 
hammer  that  I  once  used  for  two  consecutive  years 
when  working  at  the  vise.  It  has  been  in  intermit- 


132 


BLACKSMITHING. 


tent  use  for  some  ten  years  since,  and  its  handle 
shows  no  signs  of  coming  loose,  for  the  simple  rea- 
son that  it  was  properly  put  in  in  the  first  place. 

The  correct  shape  for  an  eye  to  receive  a  tool- 
handle  is  shown  in  Figs.  75  and  76,  which  are  sec- 
tional views.  A  is  the  top  and  B  the  bottom  of  the 
tool.  Two  sides  of  the  hole,  it  will  be  observed  in 
Fig.  75>  are  rounded  out  from  the  center  towards 
each  end.  The  other  two  sides  are  parallel  from  the 
top  to  the  center,  as  shown  in  Fig.  76,  while  the  bot- 
tom half  of  the  hole  is  rounded  out  as  before.  The 


FIG.  77.— TOP  VIEW. 


FIG.  78.— BOTTOM  VIEW. 


shape  thus  obtained  may  be  clearly  understood  from 
Fig.  77,  which  is  a  view  of  the  top,  or  face  A,  and 
Fig.  78,  which  is  a  view  of  the  bottom,  or  face  B. 
The  handle  is  fitted  a  driving  fit  to  the  eye,  and  is 
shaped  as  shown  in  Figs.  79  and  80,  which  are  side 
and  edge  views.  From  C  to  D,  the  handle  fills  the 
eye,  but  from  D  to  E  it  fills  the  eye  lengthways  only 
of  the  oval.  A  saw-slot,  to  receive  a  wedge,  is  cut  in 
the  handle,  as  shown  in  Fig.  80.  The  wedge  is  best 
made  of  soft  wood,  which  will  compress  and  conform 
itself  to  the  shape  of  the  slot.  To  drive  the  handle 


BLACKSMITHING.  133 

into  the  eye,  preparatory  to  wedging  it  permanently, 
it  should  be  placed  in  the  eye,  held  vertically,  with 
the  tool  head  hanging  downward,  and  the  upper  end 
struck  with  a  mallet  or  hammer,  which  is  better  than 
resting  the  tool-head  on  a  block.  The  wedge  should 
be  made  longer  than  will  fill  the  slot,  so  that  its  upper 
end  may  project  well,  and  the  protruding  part,  which 


FIG.  79.— SHAPE  OF  HANDLE.   FIG.  8o.— SHAPE  OF  HANDLE. 
ANOTHER  VIEW. 


may  split  or  bulge  in  the  driving,  may  be  cut  off 
after  the  wedge  is  driven  home. 

o 

The  wedge  should  be  driven  first  with  a  mallet  and 
finally  with  a  hammer.  After  a  very  few  blows  on  the 
wedge,  the  tool  should  be  suspended  by  the  handle 
and  the  end  of  the  latter  struck  to  keep  the  handle 
firmly  home  in  the  eye.  This  is  necessary,  because 


134 


BLACKSMITHING. 


driving  the   wedge  in  is    apt   to  drive    the    handle 
partly  out  of  the  eye. 

The  width  of  the  wedge  should  equal  the  full  length 
of  the  oval  at  the  top  of  the  eye,  so  that  one  wedge 
will  spread  the  handle  out  to  completely  fill  the  eye, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  81.  Metal  wedges  are  not  so  good 
as  wooden  ones,  because  they  have  less  elasticity  and 
do  not  so  readily  conform  to  the  shape  of  the  saw- 
slot,  for  which  reason  they  are  more  apt  to  come 
loose.  The  taper  on  the  wedge  should  be  regulated 


FIG.  8l.— SHAPE  OF   WEDGE. 

to  suit  the  amount  of  taper  in  the  eye,  while  the  thick- 
ness of  the  wedge  should  be  sufficiently  in  excess  of 
the  width  of  the  saw-cut,  added  to  the  taper  in  the  eye, 
to  avoid  all  danger  of  the  end  of  the  wedge  meeting 
the  bottom  of  the  saw-slot. 

By  this  method  the  tool  handle  is  locked  to  the 
tool  eye  by  being  spread  at  each  end  of  the  same.  If 
the  top  end  of  the  tool  eye  were  rounded  out  both 
ways  of  the  oval,  two  wedges  would  be  required  to 
spread  the  handle  end  to  fit  the  eye,  one  wedge  stand- 


BLACKSMITHING. 


135 


ing  at  a  right  angle  to  the  other.  In  this  case  one 
wedge  must  be  of  wood  and  one  of  metal,  the  one 
standing  across  the  width  of  the  oval  usually  being 
the  metal  one.  The  thin  edge  of  the  metal  wedge  is 
by  some  twisted,  as  shown  by  Fig.  82,  which  causes 


FIG.  82.— SHAPE  OF  METAL  WEDGE. 

the  wedge  to  become  somewhat  locked  when  driven 
in. 

In  fitting  the  handle,  care  must  be  taken  that  its 
oval  is  made  to  stand  true  with  the  oval  on  the  tool 
eye.  Especially  is  this  necessary  in  the  case  of  a 
hammer.  Suppose,  for  example,  that  in  Fig. 


FIG.  83.— FITTING  THE  HANDLE. 

83  the  length  of  the  oval  of  the  handle  lies  in  the 
plane  A  B,  while  that  of  the  eye  lies  in  the  plane  C 
D  ;  then  the  face  of  the  hammer  will  meet  the  work 
on  one  side,  and  the  hammer  will  wear  on  one  side,  as 
shown  in  the  figure  at  E.  If,  however,  the  eye  is 


136 


BLACKSMITHING. 


not  true  in  the  hammer,  the  handle  must  be  fitted 
true  to  the  body  of  the  hammer ;  that  is  to  say,  to 
the  line  C  D.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  the  hand 
naturally  grasps  the  handle  in  such  a  manner  that 
the  length  of  the  oval  of  the  handle  lies  in  the  plane 
of  the  line  of  motion  when  striking  a  blo.w,  and  it  is 
obvious  that  to  strike  a  fair  blow  the  length  of  the 
hammer  should  also  stand  in  the  plane  of  motion. 
The  handle  should  also  stand  at  a  right  angle  to 


FIG.  84.— HANDLE  AT  RIGHT  ANGLE  TO  PLANE  OF   LENGTH  OF    HAM- 
MER   HEAD. 

the  plane  of  the  length  of  the  hammer  head,  viewed 
from  the  side  elevation,  as  shown  in  Fig.  84,  in 
which  the  dotted  line  is  the  plane  of  the  hammer's 
length,  while  B  represents  a  line  at  a  right  angle  to 
A,  and  should,  therefore,  represent  the  axial  line  of 
the  hammer  handle.  But  suppose  the  handle  stood 
as  denoted  by  the  dotted  line  C,  then  the  face  of  the 
hammer  would  wear  to  one  side,  as  shown  in  the  fig- 
ure at  D. — By  JOSHUA  ROSE,  M.E. 


BLACKSMITHING.  137 

BLACKSMITHS'  TONGS  AND  TOOLS. 

[Prize  Competition  Essay, ,] 

My  knowledge  of  tools  is  confined  to  the  class 
known  as  the  machine  blacksmith's  tools.  But  these 
may  be  of  interest  to  the  horseshoer  and  carriage 
ironer,  and  their  tools  may  interest  the  machine 
blacksmith. 

The  list  of  tools  would  not  be  complete  unless 
the  smith's  hand  hammer  was  mentioned,  and  as  a 
rule  the  smith  takes  great  pride  in  it.  These  ham- 


FIG.  85.— THE   BALL  PANE  HAMMER. 

mers  are  of  the  class  known  as  the  ball  pane,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  85  of  the  accompanying  illustrations. 
The  weight  of  the  hammer  is  according  to  the  taste 
of  the  man  who  uses  it,  but  the  average  weight  is 
about  2  Ibs.  4  ozs.  Fig.  86  represents  a  pair  of 
double  calipers,  one  side  of  which  is  used  for  taking 
the  width  and  the  other  side  for  the  thickness  when 
working  a  piece  of  iron.  Fig.  87  is  a  pair  of  single 
calipers  for  general  use  and  needs  no  explanation. 
Fig.  88  is  a  pair  of  common  dividers  which  a 


~f    4 


138  BLACKSMITHING. 

for  describing  the  circles  on  pieces  that  need  to  be 
cut  round,  and  they  can  be  used  as  a  gauge  in  weld- 
ing up  pieces  to  a  given  length.  Fig.  89  is  a  T-- 
square, which  is  as  useful  a  tool  as  ever  got  into  a 
shop  for  squaring  up  work  with.  The  short  leg  can 
be  dropped  into  a  hole  while  squaring  the  face  with 
the  T,  or  it  can  be  used  for  a  handle  while  using  the 


FIG.   86. — THE   DOUBLE  CALIPERS. 

back  to  square  up  flat  pieces.  These  tools  should 
belong  to  every  smith  and  be  his  private  property. 
The  ordinary  2-ft.  square  which  every  smith  ought 
to  be  provided  with  is  usually  supplied  by  the  owner 
of  the  shop.  A  good  2-ft.  brass  rule  is  something 
that  every  smith  ought  to  have. 

Opinions  differ  as  regards  the  fire  and  anvil  of  rhe 
machine  smith.     But  a  neat  outfit  is  a  portable  forge 


BLACKSMITHING.  139 

made  for  general  work,  and  a  3OO-lb.  Eagle  anvil 
with  all  the  sharp  corners  ground  off,  and  made  a 
little  more  rounding  next  to  the  beak  iron  than  on 
the  other  end.  The  sledges  usually  found  to  be  most 
convenient  are  the  straight  pane  pattern,  Fig.  90, 
of  8lbs.,  12  Ibs.,  and  16  Ibs.  weight,  the  i  2-lb.  sledge 
being  for  general  use,  and  the  others  for  light  or 
heavy  work  as  occasion  demands. 

In  addition  to  these,  each  fire  usually  has  what  is 


FIG.  8/.— THE   SINGLE  CALIPERS. 

called  a  backing  hammer,  which  is  of  the  same  style 
as  the  smith's  hammer,  but  weighing  only  3^  Ibs. 
This  is  used  to  assist  the  smith  in  backing  up  a 
piece  of  iron  when  scarfing  for  welding,  and  for  fin- 
ishing up  work  where  the  sledges  are  too  heavy. 

Tongs  rank  among  one  of  the  most  important 
things  in  a  blacksmith's  outfit.  Fig.  91  represents 
the  pick-up  tongs,  which  are  especially  the  helper's 


I4O  BLACKSMITHING. 

tongs  and  are  used  to  pick  up  tools  and  small  pieces 
generally. 

Fig.  92  represents  a  pair  of  ordinary  flat  tongs  for 
holding  flat  iron,  and  they  need  little  explanation. 
Fig.  93  represents  a  pair  of  box  tongs  for  holding 
square  or  flat  iron,  the  lip  on  each  side  preventing 
the  iron  from  slipping  around.  Figs.  94  and  95 


FIG.  88.— THE   DIVIDERS. 

show  a  pair  of  tongs,  one  pair  of  which  can  be  made 
to  fit  several  sizes  by  making  the  box  piece  to  fit  the 
size  of  iron  to  be  used.  Fig.  94  shows  the  pieces 
apart,  and  Fig.  95  shows  how  they  are  used.  Fig. 
96  represents  a  pair  of  round  bit  tongs  for  holding 
round  iron.  Fig.  97  shows  a  pair  of  hollow  bits  for 


BLACKSMITHING. 


141 


holding  round  iron,  and  for  pieces  having  a  larger 
end  than  the  body,  such  as  bolts,  etc.  Fig.  98  rep- 
resents a  pair  of  square,  hollow  bits  that  answer  the 
same  purpose  as  the  bits  shown  in  Fig.  97,  except 
that  the  square  bits  will  hold  square  or  round  iron. 


FIG.  89.— THE  T-SQUARE. 

Fig.  99  represents  a  pair  of  flat  tongs  for  holding 
large  pieces,  the  diamond-shaped  crease  in  the  bits 
making  them  handy  for  holding  large  pieces  of 
square  or  round  iron.  Fig.  100  shows  a  pair  of  pin- 


no.  90.— THE  STRAIGHT  PANE  SLEDGE. 

cer  tongs,  useful  for  many  purposes.     Holding  work 
that  has  a  round  piece  raised  off  the  main  body,  they 


142 


BLACKSMITHING. 


can  be  made  still  more  useful  by  cutting  out  the 
tops  of  the  bits,  as  shown  in  the  figure.  Fig.  101 
shows  tongs  for  holding  work  where  the  iron  is  bent 
flatwise.  The  tongs  shown  in  Fig.  102  are  useful, 
for  they  can  be  made  to  suit  any  size.  Those  shown 


FIG.  91.— THE  PICK-UP  TONGS. 


FIG.  92.— THE   FLAT  TONGS. 


FIG.  93.— THE  BOX  TONGS. 


FIG.  94.— TONGS  WITH    BOX   PIECE. 


FIG.  95.— SHOWING  HOW  THE  TONGS  AND    BOX   PIECES  ARE  USED. 

in  Fig.  103  are  for  work  that  cannot  be  held  in  an 
ordinary  pair  of  flat  tongs  on  account  of  the  bits  not 
being  long  enough.  The  bits  are  bent  at  right  an- 
gles, so  that  the  work  will  pass  by  the  joints.  Fig. 


BLACKSMITHING. 


143 


104  shows  a  pair  of  the  same  style  of  tongs  with  the 
bits  bent  to  hold  round  iron. 


FIG.  96.— ROUND-BIT  TONGS. 

Another  style   of  crooked-bit  tongs    is  shown  in 
Fig.  105,  in  which  the  bits  are  bent  down  instead  of 


FIG.  97. — HOLLOW-BIT  TONGS. 

sidewise  as  in  Fig.  103.     They  are  useful  for  handling 
rings   of  flat  iron  and  for   holding    flat    iron   while 


FIG.  98.— TONGS   WITH   SQUARE,   HOLLOW   BITS. 

bending  flatways.      For  holding  work  while  the  iron 
is  being  bent  on  edge,  the  tongs  shown  in  Fig.   106 


FIG.  99— FLAT  TONGS   FOR  HOLDING  LARGE  PIECES. 

are  good,  the  lip  bent  on  one  of  the  bits  preventing 
the  iron  from  pulling  out  of  the  tongs.  Fig.  107 
represents  a  pair  of  tongs  for  holding  chisels 

J 


'V 


144  BLACKSMITH  ING. 

sharpening  them,  or  for  holding  any  such  tools  while 
they  are  being  repaired.  For  making  bolts  out  of 
round  iron  the  tongs  as  shown  in  Fig.  108  will  beat 


FIG.    ICO.      PINCER  TONGS. 


FIG.  IOI. — TONGS   FOR   BENDING  IRON   FLATWISE. 


FIG.    102. — TONGS   FOR  HOLDING  PIECES   OF  DIFFERENT  SIZES. 


FIG.   103.— TONGS  WITH  BENT   BITS. 


FIG.    104.— TONGS  WITH   BENT   BITS   FOR  HOLDING  ROUND  IRON. 

any  I  ever  saw.  They  have  the  ordinary  hollow  bit, 
with  a  piece  cut  out  of  each  bit  crosswise  to  hold  the 
round  iron  in  upsetting.  The  swell  in  the  bits  allows 
the  head  to  be  taken  in  while  straightening  the  other 


BLACKSMITHING. 


end.  All  of  the  foregoing  named  tongs  can  be  made 
of  any  size,  large  or  small;  and  the  smith  shop  that 
has  all  of  these  different  shapes  is  pretty  well  equip- 
ped. 

Next  in  importance  are  the  chisels,  punches  and 
tools  for  the  anvil.  Fig.  109  represents  the  ordinary 
hot  chisel,  or  hot-set,  as  it  is  known  in  some  localities. 
The  ordinary  cold  chisel  is  shown  in  Fig.  no.  The 


FIG.  105.— CROOKED-BIT  TONGS. 

hardy  for  the  anvil  is  so  well  known  as  to  need  no  il- 
lustration. The  gouge  chisel,  as  shown  in  Fig.  in, 
is  for  cutting  off  round  corners  at  one  operation.  It 
can  be  ground  inside  or  out,  thus  making  an  inside 
or  outside  tool.  The  round  punch  shown  in  Fig.  112 


FIG.  I06.— TONGS  USED   IN   BENDING   IRON  ON   THE  EDGE. 

needs  no  explanation  of  its  uses,  but  it  can  be  used 
for  a  gouge,  where  a  good  stiff  one  is  required,  by 
grinding  it  off  bevel.  In  some  work  a  square  chisel 
comes  very  handy;  one  made  as  shown  in  Fig.  113  is 
very  good.  The  square  punch  shown  in  Fig.  114 
can  also  be  ground  bevel  and  used  for  a  square  or 
corner  chisel.  The  long  or  eye  punch  is  shown  in 
Fig.  115.  For  countersinking  holes  and  such  work 


146 


BLACKSMITHING. 


the  bob  punch  or  countersink,  as  shown  in  Fig.  116, 
is  about  what  is  needed,  while  for  cupping  or  round- 


FIG.  107.— TONGS  USED  IN  SHARPENING  CHISELS. 

ing  off  the  heads  of  bolts  and  nuts,  and  for  similar 
work,  the  cupping  tool  as  shown  in  Fig.  1 1 7  is  used. 


FIG.  Io8. — TONGS  USED  IN  MAKING  BOLTS  OF  ROUND  IRON. 

A  tool  of  this  kind  comes  handy  many  a  time    if 
made  to  fit  the  hardy  hole. 

For    setting   down    work  and  getting  into  small 


FIG.  lOp. — THE  HOT  CHISEL. 

places  in  which  the  latter  cannot  be  used  we  have 
the  set  hammer  shown  in  Fig.  118.  It  is  made  with 
square  edges,  and  when  made  with  the  edges 


BLACKSMITHING. 


147 


rounded  off.it  is  called  a  round-edge  set  hammer. 
These  hammers  are  also  made  with  the  face  cut  off 
at  an  angle,  in  order  to  get  down  into  corners  and 


FIG.  HO.— THE  COLD  CHISEL. 


to  settle  work  down  very  square.  Fig.  119  repre- 
sents the  ordinary  top  swage  for  rounding  up  work, 
and  Fig.  120  shows  the  bottom  swage.  Every 


FIG.  I  if. —THE   GOUGE   CHISEL. 

smith  knows  the  value  of  a.  go^d  set  of  swages. 
They  can  be  made  long,  that  is,  the  full  width  of  the 
anvil,  or  they  can  be  made  very  short:  the  short  ones 


148 


BLACKSMITHING. 


take  the  name  of  necking  swages.  Fig.  121  repre- 
sents a  side  swage,  the  eye  being  punched  in  oppo- 
site from  the  ordinary  swage.  These  are  used  for 


FIG.    1 12.- -THE  ROUND  PUNCH. 

rounding  off  the  ends  of  flat  pieces,   being  handier 
than  the  ordinary  swage.     Fig.   122  shows  an  anvil 


FIG.  113.— THE  SQUARE    CHISEL. 

side  swage  or  bottom  swage,  a  swage  be<ng  made  on 
the  end  to  overhang  the  edge  of  the  anvil,  so  that 
bent  pieces  that  need  to  be  swaged  can  be  dropped 
over  the  edge  of  the  anvil  and  swaged  up  without 
much  trouble, 


BLACllSMITHING. 


149 


FIG.  1 14.--!  HE  SQUARE  PUNCH. 


FIG.  115.— THE  LONG  OR  EYE  PUNCH. 


FIG.  Il6.— THE  BOB  PUNCH  OR  COUNTERSINK. 


BLACKSMITHING. 


FIG.  117.— THE  CUPPING  TOOL. 


FIG.  1 1 8.— THE  SET  HAMMER. 


FIG.  119.— THE  TOP  SWAGE. 


BLACKSMITHING. 


The  top  and  bottom  fullers  shown  in  Figs.  123  and 
124  are  familiar  to  every  smith.  The  horn  on  the 
bottom  fuller  is  to  prevent  the  piece  to  be  fullered 


FIG.  120.— THE  BOTTOM    SWAGE. 


FIG.    121.— THE  SIDE  SWAGE. 


FIG.  122.— THE  ANVIL  SIDE    OR  BOTTOM  SWAGE. 


from  being  knocked  off  the  tool  at  every  blow  of  the 
striker's  sledge.  For  smoothing  up  work  the  smith 
has  the  flatter,  Fig.  125,  which  takes  out  the  lumps 


BLACKSMITHING. 


and  uneven  places  and  gives  the  work  a  finished 
appearance. 

Sometimes  a  piece  is  so  bent  that  a  flatter  cannot 


FIG.  123. — THE  TOP  FULLER. 

be  used,  and  the  smith  then  falls  back  on  his  foot 
tool,  shown  in  Fig.  126.  The  foot  goes  in  on  the 
work,  and  the  head  outside.  A  glance  at  the  sketch 


FIG.  124. — THE  BOTTOM  FULLER. 

will  show  how  useful  it  can  be  in  almost  any  smith's 
shop. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  it  is  necessary  to  leave 
round  corners  on  apiece  of  work,  and  in  finishing  it 
up  the  ordinary  flatter  would  mark  it  and  spoil  its 


BLACKSMITHING. 


153 


appearance.  The  smith  then  makes  use  of  the  round- 
edge  flatter  shown  in  Fig.  127.  This  tool  is  also 
useful  in  bending  flat  iron,  the  round  edge  prevent- 
ing galling. 


FIG.  125.— THE  FLATTER. 

The  smith  sometimes  has  a  lot  of  small  rings  to 
make,  or  to  work  out  holes  which  are  too  small  for  the 
beak  iron.  For  such  work  a  small  cone  to  fit  the 


FIG.  126.— THE  FOOT  TOOL. 


anvil,  as  shown  in  Fig.  128,  is  very  useful.  Or  he 
may  have  some  collars  to  weld  on  round  iron,  and 
after  making  one  or  two  he  wishes  he  had  a  quicker 


'54 


BLACKSMITHING. 


way  and  one  that  would  make  them  all  look  alike. 
He  bethinks  himself  of  the  collar  swages  he  heard 
that  "  Tramp  Blacksmith  "  talk  about,  so  he  makes 


FIG.  127.— THE  ROUND-EDGE  FLATTER. 

a  pair  of  collar  swages  as  shown  in  Fig.  129.  Only 
the  bottom  swage  is  shown,  as  the  impression  in  the 
top  is  like  the  bottom.  After  making  three  or  four 
pieces  he  "  gets  the  hang  "  of  the  tools,  and  the  work 
goes  merrily  on,  each  piece  looking  like  the  other. 


FIG.  128.— THE  ANVIL  CONE. 

He  sometimes  has  to  make  bends  in  his  work,  and 
then  the  fork  shown  in  Fig.  130  comes  in  very 
handy.  I  have  seen  this  tool  used  for  making 


BLACKSMITHING.  155 

hooks  on  the  end  of  long  rods,  one  fork  being  used 
to  press  against  and  the  other  to  bend  the  hook 
around.  Fig.  131  represents  a  tool  for  bending 
flat  pieces  at  right  angles  and  making  T-pieces. 


FIG.  129.— THE  COLLAR  SWAGE. 


The  smith  drops   the  iron  in  the  slot,  and  he  can 
bend  or  twist  it  any  way  he  likes. 

Sometimes  work  needs  fullering,  but  is  so  offset 


FIG.  130.— A  FORK  USED  IN  BENDING. 

that  one  end  rests  on  the  anvil  and  the  other  towers 
away  above  the  fuller.  The  smith  then  uses  the 
fuller  shown  in  Fig.  132,  the  outside  edge  of 
the  fuller  being  brought  flush  with  the  side  of  the 
anvil,  thus  enabling  the  smith  to  drop  his  work  down 


1 56  BLACKSMITHING. 

the  side  of  the  anvil  and  proceed  as  with  an  ordi- 
nary fuller. 

In  most  machine  blacksmith  shops  they  have  more 
or  less  bolts  and  nuts  to  make.     Fig.  133  represents 


FIG.    131. — A   TOOL    FOR    BENDING    FLAT    PIECES    AND    MAKING 

T  PIECES. 

the  ordinary  nut  swage  used  for  swaging  nuts  or  fin- 
ishing up  the  heads  of  hexagon  bolts.  Fig.  134 
shows  a  better  tool  for  making  bolts.  Only  one-half 


FIG.  132.— A  FULLER  FOR  OFFSET  WORK. 

is  sunk  hexagon,  the  other  half  being  the  ordinary 
bottom  round  swage,  so,  that  in  making  a  bolt  as 
it  is  turned  around  in  the  swage  the  shank  of  the 
bolt  is  brought  central  with  the  head.  Smiths  who 


BLACKSMITHING. 


157 


have  trouble  in  getting  the  head  of  the  bolt  central 
with  the  shank,  will,  by  using  this  tool,  be  able  to 
make  a  good  bolt.  The  tool  shown  in  Fig.  135  has 
grooves  cut  in  until  they  meet  at  the  bottom,  so 
that  many  different-sized  heads  or  nuts  can  be  made 


FIG.  133.— A    NUT    SWAGE. 

in  it,  the  small  ones  going  far  down  and  the  larger 
ones  filling  it  up.  In  Fig.  136  is  shown  the  ordinary 
heading  tool.  Fig.  137  represents  a  nut  mandrel  in 


FIG.  134.— A  TOOL  FOR  MAKING   BOLTS. 

which  the  shank  is  made  smaller  than  the  body  part, 
in  order  to  drive  it  through  the  nut. 

Fig.  138  shows  a  bridge  or  saddle  used  for  drawing 
out  forked  pieces,  making  open-end  wrenches  and 
similar  work. 

I  have  not  attempted  to  describe  the  hand 


158 


BLACKSMITHING, 


but,  as  is  known,  hand  punches,  round,  flat  and  hex- 
agonal, are  very  useful  in  the  smith's  shop.     Pins  for 


FIG.  135.— A  TOOL  FOR  MAKING  HEADS  OR   NUTS   OF  VARIOUS  SIZES 


driving  through  holes  to  expand  them  are  so  well 
known  to  all  smiths  that  I  do  not  deem  it  necessary  to 


FIG.  136.— THE  HEADING  TOOL. 

take  up  space  in  describing  them.     The  tools  that  I 
have  attempted  to  describe  are  in  every-day  use,  and 


FIG.  137.— A  NUT  MANDREL. 

I  think   they    form    altogether   a  good  outfit  for  a 
machine  blacksmith  shop By  WARDLEY  LANE. 

PROPER  SHAPE  FOR  BLACKSMITHS'  TONGS. 

The  proper  shape  for  blacksmiths'  tongs  depends 
upon  whether  they  are  to  be  used  upon  work  of  a 


BLACKSMITHING. 


159 


uniform  size  and  shape  or  upon  general  work.     In 
the  first  case  the  tongs  may  be  formed  to  exactly 


FIG.  138.— SADDLE  USED  FOR  DRAWING  OUT  FORKED  PIECES. 

suit  the  special  work.  In  the  second  case  they  must 
be  formed  to  suit  as  wide  a  range  of  work  as  conve- 
nient. 

Suppose,  for  example,  the  tongs  are  for  use  on  a 


FIG.  139.— PROPER  SHAPE  OF  TONGS  FOR  SPECIAL  WORK. 

special  size  and  shape  of  metal  only.  Then  they 
should  be  formed  as  in  Fig.  139,  the  jaws  gripping 
the  work  evenly  all  along,  and  being  straight  along 


FIG.  140. — IMPROPER  SHAPE. 


the  gripping  surface.  The  ends  A  B  are  curved  so 
that  the  ring  C  shall  not  slide  back  and  come  off.  It 
will  readily  be  perceived,  however,  that  if  these  tongs 


i6o 


BLACKSMITHING. 


were  put  upon  a  piece  of  work  of  greater  thickness, 
they  would  grip  it  at  the  inner  end  only,  as  in  Fig.  140, 
and  it  would  be  impossible  to  hold  the  work  steady. 
The  end  of  the  work,  W,  would  act  as  a  pivot,  and 
the  part  on  the  anvil  would  move  about.  It  is  better, 


FIG,  141. — PROPER  SHAPE  OF  JAWS  FOR  GENERAL  USE. 

therefore,  for  general  work,  to  form  the  jaws  as  shown 
in  Fig.  141,  putting  the  work  sufficiently  within  the 
jaws  to  meet  them  at  the  curve  in  the  jaw,  when  the 
end  B  also  grips  the  work.  By  putting  the  work 
more  or  less  within  the  tongs,  according  to  its  thick- 
ness, contact  at  the  end  of  the  work  as  at  A,  and  at 


FIG.  142.— SHAPE  OF  TONG  JAWS   FIG.  143.— SHAPE  OF  SQUARE 

FOR  ROUND  WORK.        TONG  JAWS  FOR  ROUND  WORK. 

the  point  of  the  tongs  as  at  B,  may  be  secured  in  one 
pair  of  tongs  over  a  wider  range  of  thickness  of  work 
than  would  otherwise  be  the  case.  This  applies  to 
tongs  for  round  or  other  work  equally  as  well  as  to 
flat  or  square  work, 


BLACKSMITHING. 


161 


For  round  work,  the  curve  in  the  tong  jaws  should 
always  be  less  than  that  of  the  work,  as  shown  in  the 
end  view,  Fig.  142,  in  which  ^represents  the  work 
or  if  round  work  be  held  in  square  tongs,  it  should 


FIG.  144.— PROPER  BOW  OF  JAWS. 


touch  the  sides  of  the  square  as  shown  in  Fig.  143, 
and  in  all  cases  there  should  be  a  little  spring  to  the 
jaws  of  the  tongs,  to  cause  them  to  conform  some- 


FIG.  145.— PROPER  SHAPE  FOR  BOLTS. 

what  to  the  shape  of  the  iron.  This  not  only  causes 
the  tongs  to  hold  the  work  firmer,  but  it  also  in- 
creases the  range  of  the  capacity  of  the  tongs.  Thus 


FIG.  146.— SHAPE  FOR  IRREGULAR  SHAPED  WORK. 

in  the  shape  of  tongs  shown  in  Fig,  144,  the  bow  of 
the  jaws  would  give  them  a  certain  amount  of  spring, 
that  would  enable  them  to  conform  to  the  shape  of 
the  work  more  readily  than  those  shown  in  Fig.  139, 


162 


BLACKSMITHING. 


while  at  the  same  time  it  affords  room  for  a  protec- 
tion head  or  lug.  For  short  and  headed  work,  such 
as  bolts,  the  form  shown  in  Fig.  145  is  the  best,  the 
thickness  at  the  points  always  being  reduced  to  give 
some  elasticity,  and  in  this  case  to  envelope  less  of 
the  length  of  the  bolt  also. 


FIG.  147. — HOOP  TONGS. 

For  holding  awkward  shaped  work  containing  an 
eye,  the  form  shown  in  Fig.  146  is  best,  the  taper  in 
this  case  running  both  ways,  as  shown,  to  give  in- 
creased elasticity.  The  same  rule  also  applies  to  the 
hoop  tongs  shown  in  Fig.  147. 

Perhaps  the  best  example  of  the  advantage  of  hav- 


FIG.  148.  -PICK-UP  TONGS. 

ing  a  certain  amount  of  spring,  or  give,  in  the  jaws  of 
tongs  is  shown  in  the/zV/£ -up  tongs  in  Fig.  148,  the 
curves  giving  the  jaws  so  much  elasticity  that  the 
points  at  A  will  first  grip  the  work,  and  as  the  tongs 
are  tightened  the  curves  at  B  will,  from  the  spring  of 
the  jaws,  also  come  in  contact,  thus  gripping  the  work 


BLACKSMITHING.  163 

in  two  places,  and  prevent  it  from  moving  on  a  single 
point  of  contact  on  each  jaw  as  a  pivot. 

It  follows  from  this  that  all  tongs  should  first  meet 
the  work  at  the  point  as  in  Fig.  149,  and  spring  down 


FIG.    149.— PROPER    SHAPE. 

to  meet  it  at  the  back  end  as  the  tongs  tighten  upon 
the  work,  and  it  follows  also  that  the  thickness  of 
the  jaws  should  always  be  well  tapered,  and  not  paral- 
lel, as  many  unthinking  men  are  apt  to  make  them. 
-By  }.  R. 


BLACKSMITHS'  TOOLS. 


{Prize  Essay.} 


In  the  accompanying  illustrations  of  blacksmiths' 
tools,  No.  i,  in  Fig.  150,  represents  a  stay  that  goes 
from  the  axle  to  the  perch  in  buggy  gear.  The 
pieces  A  and  B  are  made  from  7-1 6-inch  round 
iron  and  C  is  1-2  inch.  No.  2,  in  Fig.  150,  is  the 
bottom  tool  used  in  forming  the  offset,  and  No.  3, 
Fig,  150,  is  the  top  tool. 

To  make  the  stay,  cut  off  two  pieces  of  7-1 6-inch 
round  Lowmoor  iron  of  the  length  required  for  A 
and  By  No.  i,  Fig.  150,  cutting  B  about  3  inches 


164 


BLACKSMITHING. 


longer  than  it  is  to  be  when  finished.  Then  cut  a 
piece  of  i-2-inch  iron  for  C,  Fig.  150.  Next  heat  the 
ends  of  A  and  C,  upset  and  weld,  leaving  it  a  little 
larger  than  1-2  inch  at  the  weld.  Next  heat  B  at  the 
end  and  double  it  back  about  2  1-2  inches,  weld  and 
upset  a  little  to  make  up  for  loss  in  welding.  Now 


FIG.  150. 


draw  out  as  shown  in  A ,  Fig.  151,  bend  as  in  Fig.  152, 
and  insert  the  fuller  at  A.  Then  heat  the  end  A, 
Fig.  152,  and  with  a  thin  splitting  chisel  split  and 
scarf.  Then  place  it  on  the  bar  marked  A  and  C, 
Fig.  153,  put  it  in  the  fire,  take  a  nice  welding  heat, 


BLACKSMITHING. 


and  with  a  light  hammer  weld  it  lightly  working  in 
the  corners  of  the  scarf.  Then  return  it  immediately 
to  the  fire,  get  a  good  soft  heat,  and  place  it  in  the 
tool  No.  2,  Fig.  150,  with  the  tool  No.  3,  Fig.  150,  on 


FIG.  151. — SHOWING  HOW  THE  PIECE  IS  DRAWN  OUT. 

top.  Let  the  helper  give  it  three  or  four  sharp  blows 
and  the  job  is  finished.  If  there  should  be  any  sur- 
plus stock  it  will  be  squeezed  out  between  the  tools 


FIG.  152.— SHOWING  HOW  THE  PIECE  IS  BENT. 

and  can  be  easily  removed  with  a  sharp  chisel. 

The  reader  will    notice  that  there   is  a  box  in  the 
tool  No.  2,  Fig.  150,  which  serves  to  bring  No.  3  in 


FIG.  153.  — SHOWING  HOW  THE  PIECES  ARE  JOINED   AND  WELDED  IN 
MAKING  AN  OFFSET. 

the  right  place  every  time.  If  the  tools  are  made 
properly  the  job  will  look  like  a  drop-forging  without 
any  sign  of  a  weld.  Two  offsets  for  gears  can  be 


l66  BLACKSMITH  ING. 

made  in  this   way  in    fifteen  minutes  by  any  good 
mechanic. 

No.  4,  Fig.  150,  is  a  bending  crotch.  The  prongs 
A  and  B  are  made  oval,  and  B  is  adjustable  to  any 
size  needed.  This  tool  is  made  of  cast  steel  through- 
out. To  make  it  take  a  piece  of  cast  steel  i  1-2 
inches  square,  fuller  and  draw  down  theend  to  fit  the 
square  hole  of  the  anvil,  then  flatten  the  top  and  split; 
next  bend  C  at  right  angle  to  A,  and  finish  to  7-8 
inch  square.  Then  draw  out  A  to  about  an  inch  oval 


FIG.  154. — THE  CLIP  USED  ON  THE  TIRE-SETTER  MARKED  NO.  5,  IN 

FIG.  150. 

on  the  angle,  fuller  and  draw  out  the  end  B,  cut 
off  and  punch  the  square  hole,  and  work  up  the 
socket  to  7-8  inch  square,  and  it  is  ready  for  use. 
Then  make  a  top  wrench  as  shown  at  No.  57,  Fig. 
182.  I  like  to  have  two  top  wrenches,  one  for  light 
and  one  for  heavy  work. 

No.  5,  Fig.  150,  is  a  home-made  tire  upsetter,  but 
I  do  not  claim  that  it  is  equal  to  some  others  now  on 
the  market.  Still  it  will  be  found  convenient  in 
many  shops  where  they  do  not  have  any. 


BLACKSMITHING.  1 67 

To  make  it,  take  a  piece  of  iron  i  x  2  inches  and 
ii  inches  long,  take  a  heat  in  the  center,  weld  on  a 
square  piece  to  fit  the  square  hole  in  the  anvil,  and 
bend  to  suit  large  sized  tire.  Next  make  two  clips, 
one  for  each  end,  and  shape  it  as  in  Fig.  154.  These 
clips  are  made  from  i  3-4  x  3-4  inches  iron.  Drill  two 
holes  in  each,  one  below  to  fasten  the  clip  to  the 
main  plate,  and  one  on  the  top  end  for  the  pinching 
or  set  screw,  making  the  top  holes  9-16  inch,  and  the 
bottom  one,  5-8  inch,  as  a  screw  thread  must  be  cut  in 
the  top  for  a  5-8-inch  set  screw.  Now  make  four  set 


FIG.  155.— SHOWINGJHE  METHOD  OF  USING  THE  TIRE- SETTER,  NO.  5, 

FIG.  150. 

screws,  5-8  inch  full.  The  upper  two  should  be  made 
of  steel  or  have  steel  points  and  be  sharpened  like  a 
center  punch.  Now  place  the  two  clips  on  the  ends 
of  the  main  piece  marked  for  holes.  Drill  two  9-16 
inch  holes  and  make  a  screw  thread  for  5-8  inch 
screws,  put  the  screws  in  and  cut  the  ends  off  the 
bottom  screws  level  with  the  main  plate  and  it  is 
ready  for  use. 

To  use  it,  set  the  screws  to  fit  the  tire,  heat  to  a 
soft  heat  and  bend  as  shown  in  Fig.   155.      Then 


1 68 


BLACKSMITHING. 


place  it  in  the  upset,  and  let  your  helper  tighten  one 
of  the  set  screws  while  you  tighten  the  other,  and 
then  hammer  down  with  two  hammers.  In  this  way 
a  tire  can  be  easily  upset  3-8  inch  at  a  heat. 

No.  6,  Fig.  150,  is  a  very  useful  implement  for 
cleaning  off  plow  shares  or  for  reducing  surplus 
stock  which  cannot  be  removed  conveniently  other- 
wise. The  cutting  face  is  made  of  blister  steel  and 


.    FIG.  156. 

the  back  is  of  iron  welded  together.  The  length  is 
three  feet,  exclusive  of  the  handle,  and  the  width  is 
i  1-2  x  3-4  inches.  The  teeth  are  cut  hot  and  like  a 
mill  saw's  teeth.  To  cut  them  take  a  sharp  wide 
chisel,  commence  at  the  front,  cut  one  tooth,  then 
place  your  chisel  back  of  the  tooth  and  slide  it  for- 
ward until  it  comes  against  the  first  tooth.  This 
will  make  your  gauge  for  the  second  tooth,  and  you 


BLACKSMITHING.  1 69 

go  on  in  this  way  until  the  teeth  are  all  cut.  To 
temper  the  tool,  heat  it  for  its  full  length  to  a  blood 
heat,  cool,  then  cover  with  oil  and  pass  it  backward 
and  forward  through  the  fire  until  the  oil  burns  off. 
It  can  then  be  straightened  if  it  has  sprung.  The 
front  handle  that  stands  up  at  right  angles  to  the 
other  part  of  the  tool  is  screwed  in.  When  the  tool 
becomes  dull,  it  can  be  softened  and  sharpened  by  a 
half-round  file. 

No.  7,  Fig.  156,  is  a  home-made  rasp,  made  of  solid 
cast  steel  i  1-2  x  3-4  inches  and  2  feet  long  (with- 
out tang).  It  has  three  cutting  faces,  two  sides,  and 


FIG.  157. — SHOWING  HOW  THE  TOOL  MARKED  NO.  8,  IN  FIG.  156,  IS 
DRAWN  AND  FULLERED. 

one  edge;  the  cutting  edge  is  swaged  round,  which 
makes  it  very  convenient  for  rasping  around  collars 
or  similar  places;  the  square  edge  is  left  smooth, 
which  makes  a  good  safety  edge.  It  is  double  cut, 
similar  to  the  ordinary  blacksmith  file.  It  has  to  be 
cut  hot,  and  in  cutting  the  second  side  it  will  be  nec- 
essary to  place  it  on  the  end  of  a  wooden  block.  It 
will  be  found  very  useful  for  hot  rasping  large  step- 
pads,  or  reducing  stock  on  difficult  work. 

No.  8,  Fig.  156,  is  made  of  i  3-8  inches  square  ma- 
chinery steel.     To  make  it,  draw  it  down  as  at  A, 


I/O  BLACKSMITHING. 

Fig.  157,  to  fit  the  square  hole  in  the  anvil,  then 
fuller  in,  work  out  the  corner  at  C,  draw  out  and 
leave  the  corner  at  D,  and  form  the  foot  as  at  E. 
Then  bend  at  C  and  fuller  out  the  corner 
as  at  A,  Fij.  157,  bsnd  D,  Fig.  157,  as  shown 
at  B,  Fig.  158,  and  it  will  be  ready  for  use.  It 
will  be  found  very  handy  in  making  wrenches  and 
different  kind  of  clips,  staffing,  dash  irons,  etc.  In 
many  cases  it  will  be  preferred  to  the  little  anvil  at 
No.  22,  Fig.  156,  being  much  firmer  on  account  of 


FIG.  158.— SHOWING  HOW  THE  PIECE   SHOWN   IN  FIG.  157   IS  BENT 
AND    FULLERED. 

the  extra  leg.  At  C,  Fig.  158,  it  is  i  3-8  inches  wide, 
and  7-8  inch  deep,  and  at  B,  i  1-4  x  3-8  inch. 
The  length  of  the  face  is  7  inches. 

No.  9,  Fig.  150,  is  a  collection  of  fullers  ranging 
from  i  1-2  inches  to  3-16  inch.  The  top  ones  are 
made  of  cast  steel.  Some  of  the  bottom  ones  are 
made  of  iron,  and  faced  with  steel,  but  lately  I  have 
made  them  altogether  of  machinery  steel,  which  is 
less  trouble  to  make  and  answers  the  purpose  very 
well.  I  do  not  think  any  further  description  of  them 


BLACKSMITHING. 


171 


is  necessary,  as  any  blacksmith  can  see  how  they  are 
made  by  a  glance  at  the  illustrations. 

No.  10,  Fig.  150,  is  a  tool  for  cutting  off  round  iron. 
In  using  it  place  the  bottom  swage  in  the  anvil  with 
the  long  end  of  the  face  toward  the  helper  so  as  to 
be  flush  with  the  front  of  the  anvil.  Then  place  the 
iron  that  is  to  be  cut  off  in  the  bottom  swage,  and 


FIG.  159.— SHOWING  THE  METHOD   OF   USING  THE  TOOL  MARKED  AT 
NO.  10,  IN  FIG.  150. 

put  the  top  tool  on;  let  the  helper  give  it  a  sharp  blow 
and  off  it  goes.  Iron  from  5-16  inch  to  5-8  inch  can 
be  cut  off  thus  with  one  blow.  This  tool  should  be 
made  of  cast  steel.  The  recess  should  be  made  to 
fit  3-4-inch  iron  and  so  deep  th'it  the  points  will 
rest  against  the  front  of  the  swage  and  to 
the  tool  and  the  swage. from  cutting  each 


172 


BLACKSMITHING. 


In  Fig.  159  a  tool  of  this  kind  is  shown  with  the  iron 
in  position  ready  to  cut.  A  is  the  top  tool,  B  is  the 
bottom  swage,  and  C  is  the  round  iron  to  be  cut  off. 

In  No.    12,  Fig.   150,  are  shown  two  hardies  for 


FIG.  l6o.— SHOWING  THE   BOTTOM  OF  THE  SWAGE   NO.    15,    FIG.    1 56. 

cutting  iron.  The  reader  will  notice  that  there  is 
a  hole  in  one  of  them.  I  use  this  hole  in  bending 
rings  from  7-16  inch  round  to  1-4  inch.  The  iron  is 


FIG.    l6l. — A   FRENCH -CLIP. 


cut  off  to  the  desired  length,  one  end  is  placed  in  the 
hole  of  the  hardy,  and  on  the  other  end  I  put  a 
suitable  heading  tool.  I  then  describe  a  circle  around 
the  hardy  and  the  ring  is  made  without  heating  it. 


BLACKSMITHING.  173 

No.  13,  Fig.  150,  is  a  diamond-shaped  fuller.  It  is 
made  the  same  as  those  shown  at  No.  9,  with  the  ex- 
ception that  the  face  is  diamond  shape.  It  is  very 
useful  in  heavy  work  in  working  out  corners  and  will 
often  save  considerable  filing.  Its  shape  tends  to  raise 
the  corners,  or  make  it  full. 

No.  14,  Fig.  156,  is  a  number  of  fine  chisels.  The 
first  is  a  hollow  or  gouge  chisel  and  is  very  conve- 
nient where  you  want  to  cut  anything  circular  or  hol- 
low. The  second  is  the  ordinary  hot  chisel  for  cut- 


FIG.  l62.— SHOWING   A  TOOL  USED   IN   MAKING  A   FRENCH   CLIP. 

ting  off  hot  iron.  The  third  is  a  thin  splitting  chisel 
and  should  be  rounded  on  the  side  toward  you,  which 
gives  a  rounding  finish  to  the  cut  which  is  a  great 
deal  better  where  you  wish  to  bend  the  branches. 
The  fourth  is  a  paring  chisel,  and  is  very  useful  often 
in  trimming  where  the  swell  on  both  sides  would  be 
inconvenient.  The  fifth  is  an  ordinary  chisel  for 
cutting  cold  iron,  and  should  have  a  stronger  edge 
than  any  of  the  others. 


174  BLACKSMITIIING. 

No.  15,  Fig.  156,  is  a  top  and  bottom  collar  swage. 
The  top  tool  is  about  the  same  as  any  ordinary 
collar  swage,  but  the  bottom  tool  differs  from  any 
other  I  have  ever  seen.  In  the  first  place  it  will  be 
noticed  that  there  is  a  band  around  it,  projecting 
above  it  fully  one  inch  and  cut  out  at  each  end. 
This  band  insures  that  the  top  tool  will  come  in  the 
right  place  every  time.  In  the  ordinary  collar  swage, 
I  have  always  found  more  or  less  trouble  in  keeping 
the  bottom  tool  perfectly  clean  from  scales  so  as  to 


FIG.    163.— A   TOOL   USED   IN   MAKING   FRENCH   CLIPS. 

make  a  sharp  collar.  To  avoid  this  difficulty  I  have 
a  hole  from  the  bottom  of  the  collar  down  through 
the  shank  so  that  the  scales  work  out  as  fast  as  made, 
and  now  I  find  the  collar  comes  out  clean  and  sharp 
every  time.  To  make  this  tool,  forge  the  swage  as 
usual,  with  a  steel  face,  then  commence  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  shank  and  drill  a  3-8  inch  hole  to  within 
1-2  inch  of  the  face.  Drill  the  rest  of  the  way  with 
a  drill  about  1-8  inch.  The  place  where  the  drill 
comes  through  is  just  where  the  large  part  of  the 


BLACKSMITHING.  1/5 

collar  should  be.  Then  prepare  it  for  the  collar, 
then  place  the  top  tool  exactly  over  it,  mark  around 
and  cut  so  as  to  have  both  alike  ;  then  put  on  your 
band  and  finish  up,  and  you  will  have  a  tool  that  will 
give  satisfaction. 


FIG.  164.— SHOWING  A  METHOD  OF  USING  AN  OLD   ANVIL  IN  MAKING 

FRENCH  CLIPS. 

In  Fig.  1 60,  the  bottom  block  is  shown  before  the 
band  is  put  on.  A  is  the  face  of  the  tool,  B,  the  part 
used  to  form  the  collar,  C  is  the  shank,  and  the  dots, 
D  D,  indicate  the  hole  for  the  escape  of  the  dirt  or 
scales. 


FIG.  165.— SHOWING   HOW  THE  IRON   IS   FULLERED   IN   MAKING   A 
FRENCH  CLIP. 

No.  1 6,  Fig.  156,  represents  a  V-chisel  which  is 
convenient  for  trimming  out  corners,  and  is  especially 
useful  in  making  French  clips;  it  saves  filing  and  time 
as  well. 


176  BLACKSMITHING. 

Fig.  161  represents  a  French  clip,  and  Figs.  162, 
163,  and  164,  and  Nos.  17  and  18  in  Fig.  156,  are  tools 
for  making  such  a  clip.  No.  17  has  no  shank,  but  is 
intended  to  be  used  in  a  cast  iron  block  being  held  in 
position  by  a  key  so  as  to  be  perfectly  solid.  An 


FIG.  l66.— SHOWING  FRENCH  CLIP  READY  TO  FULLER  DOWN  WITH 
TOOL  28,  FIG.  156. 

old  anvil  can  be  made  to  answer  the  same  purpose  by 
cutting  out  a  recess  as  shown  in  Ay  Fig.  164.  To 
make  the  clip  shown  in  Fig.  161  proceed  as  follows: 
Take  iron  of  the  proper  size  and  extra  quality, 
place  it  in  the  large  oval  bottom  tool  and  with  the 


FIG.  167. — SHOWING  EYE  MADE  WITH  TOOL  NO.  26,  FIG.  l6o. 

recess  fuller  shown  in  Fig.  162.  Then  place  the  iron 
in  the  bottom  tool,  as  shown  at  No.  36,  Fig.  175,  and 
flatten  out  as  shown  by  the  dotted  lines  Fig.  165. 
The  iron  will  then  look  as  in  Fig.  166.  Then  place 
it  in  the  tool,  No.  17,  Fig.  156,  fuller  down  and  trim 
up,  finally  using  the  tool  No.  18,  Fig.  156,  and  the 


BLACKSMITHING. 


177 


tool    shown   in  Fig.   163,  to  finish  on,  and  the  clip 
will  then  be  in  the  shape  shown  in  Fig.  161. 

No.  19,  Fig.  150,  represents  one-half  of  a  tool  used 


FIG.  1 68.— SHOWING  METHOD  OF  USING  TOOL  NO.  26,  FIG.  156. 

in  welding  drop  steps  on  body  loops.      It  is  used  in 
the  vise.     It  is  recessed  out  to  fit  shank  of  step,  and 


FIG.   169.— SHOWING   A  TOOL   FOR   MAKING   HARROW  TEETH. 

the  top  is  rounded  so  as  to  leave  it  strong  where  it 
is  welded  to  the  loop. 


178 


BLACKSMITHING. 


No.  20,  Fig.  150,  is  one-half  of  a  vise  tool  intended 
to  be  used  in  forming  collars  for  seat  wings,  etc. 

No.  21,  Fig.  156,  is  a  tool  for  making  clips,  Nos.  23, 
24  and  25  are  the  ordinary  clip  tools.  Nos.  24  and  25 


FIG.    170.— SHOWING  HOW  THE   HARROW  TOOTH   IS   BENT. 

are  set  back  so  as  to  be  convenient  for  draw-jacks 
or  work  of  that  description. 

No.  22,  Fig.  156,  is  a  small  anvil  intended  to  be 


FIG.  171.— SPECIMEN  OF  THE  WORK  DONE  BY  THE  TOOL  NO.  32, 

FIG.  175. 

used  on  a  larger  one.  It  will  be  found  very  useful 
in  light  work,  such  as  welding  small  bends  or  socket 
and  working  up  small  eyes. 

Nos.  26  and  27,  Fig.  156,  are  used  in  making  eyes 


BLACKSMITHING. 


179 


like  those  in  the  ends  of  top  joints,  as  shown  in  Fig. 
167,  and  for  working  up  clevis  ends.  It  is  very  con- 
venient for  the  latter  purpose,  because  it  enables  the 
smith  to  make  a  good  square  corner  without  straining 
the  iron,  and  so  prevents  splitting.  Fig.  168  shows 


FIG.  172.— SPECIMEN   OF  THE   WORK    DONE  WITH    THE    TOOL  NO.  33, 

FIG.    175- 

method  of  using  tools  No.  26  and  27.  A  is  the 
bridge  of  the  tool,  B  the  eye  and  C  the  pin,  while 
D  is  the  part  which  is  held  in  the  hand.  The 
slot  E  allows  the  part  D  to  be  raised  or  lowered 


FIG.    173.— SPECIMEN   OF  THE   WORK    DONE   WITH   THE  TOOL   NO.  34, 

FIG.  175. 

while  hammering  on  B.     In  making  this  tool   I   use 
machinery  steel.     I  draw  down  for  the  shank,  split, 
fuller  out  and  then  dress  up. 
No.  28,  Fig.  1 56,  is  a  tool  for  forming  heads  for  body 


i8o 


BLACKSMITHING. 


loops.  It  is  recessed  to  the  shape  of  the  top  of  the 
body  loop.  It  will  be  found  very  convenient,  and  in- 
sures getting  all  the  heads  of  the  same  shape.  I  place 
the  head  in  the  tool  in  punching,  which  forces  the  tool 
full  in  every  part.  To  provide  for  the  shank  the 
front  of  the  tool  is  a  little  higher  around  the  head 
than  at  the  oval  part. 


FIG.   174.— SECTIONAL  VIEW  OF  THE  TOOL  NO.  35,   FIG.    175. 

No.  29,  Fig.  156,  represents  a  tool  for  making  har- 
row teeth  similar  to  the  duck's  foot  that  is  thought 
a  good  deal  of  in  some  parts  of  the  country.  Fig. 
169  will  perhaps  give  a  better  idea  of  the  tool,  and 
Fig.  1 70  will  show  how  the  tooth  is  bent. 


,  FIG.  175. 

No.  30,  Fig.  175,  represents  a  crooked  fuller  for 
use  in  difficult  places,  such  as  gridiron  steps,  for 
which  it  is  almost  indispensable. 

No.  31,  Fig.  175,  shows  an  anvil  tool  used  in  weld- 
ing up  oval  gridiron  steps. 


BLACKSMITHING.  l8l 

No.  32,  Fig.  175,  is  the  bottom  tool  of  a  cross 
swage.  The  same  tool  is  also  shown  in  No.  27, 
Fig.  156.  Fig.  171  represents  some  of  the  work  done 
with  this  tool. 


FIG.  176.— THE  BOTTOM  TOOL  SHOWN  IN  NO.  38,  FIG.  178. 

No.  33,  Fig.  175,  is  the  bottom  tool  of  a  T-swage. 
The  same  tool  is  shown  in  No.  28,  Fig.  156.  It  is 
used  a  good  deal  for  ironing  iron  dickey  seats,  as  is 


FIG.  177.— SHOWING  A  SLEDGE  FOR  HEAVY  WORK. 

also  No.  32,  Fig.    175,  when  a  double  rail  is  used. 

Fig.  172  is  a  specimen  of  the  work  done  by  this  tool. 

No.  34,  Fig.  175,  is  a  tool  for  making  corner  irons 


182 


BLACKSMITHING. 


for  seats  which  have  rounded  surfaces  on  the  inside 
and  flat  on  the  outside.  One  of  the  grooves  is 
swedged  on  both  sides  of  the  point  or'apex  of  the 
tool.  The  other  groove  is  flat  on  the  other  side  from 
the  one  shown  in  the  cut.  I  use  this  groove  when  I 
wish  to  make  an  iron  with  a  foot  for  only  one  screw. 
No.  35,  Fig.  175,  is  a  tool  for  making  horseshoes 
similar  to  the  Juniata  pattern,  excepting  that  the 
crease  is  set  back  so  that  the  center  of  the  shoe  pro- 
jects above  the  nail  heads,  thus  insuring  a  good  grip 


FIG.    178. 

of  the  ground.  Fig.  1 74  is  a  sectional  view  of  the  tool. 
It  is  made  deeper  at  one  end  than  at  the  other  so 
that  different  weights  of  shoes  can  be  made  with  it. 

No.  36  is  another  punch  clip  tool. 

No.  37  is  a  group  of  top  and  bottom  oval  swages. 
They  range  from  1-2  inch  to  i  1-4  inches,  there  being 
1-8  inch  difference  between  each  tool.  I  think  they 
should  range  up  to  2  inches,  but  at  present  I  am  out  of 
top  tools.  The  latter  are  of  cast  steel  which  I  find  to 
give  the  best  satisfaction.  For  the  bottom  tools  I 


BLACKSMITHING. 


§3 


use  iron  faced  with  steel.  To  make  them,  I  take  a 
piece  of  square  Lowmoor  iron,  a  trifle  larger  than  the 
square  hole  in  the  anvil,  reduce  it  to  proper  size,  cut 
off  about  three-fourths  of  an  in(h  above  the  part  re- 
duced and  form  it  to  a  head  with  thin  edges.  I  then 


FIG.    179. 


take  a  piece  of  common  iron  of  suitable  size  for  the  top 
and  jump-weld  a  shank  on  it,  then  take  a  piece  of  blis- 
ter steel  of  suitable  size,  take  separate  heats  and  weld 
on,  then  cut  off  level  with  the  back  of  the  anvil,  fuller 


184 


BLACKSMITHING. 


in  the  recess  and  finish  up.  In  finishing  up  I  am 
careful  to  have  the  center  a  little  fuller  than  the  ends, 
as  if  it  is  left  perfectly  straight  it  will  cut  the  iron  at 
the  ends  and  in  working  there  is  always  a  tendency 
for  the  center  to  lower. 


.$'. 


No.  38,  Fig.  178,  represents  a  group  of  swages  for 
round  iron  sizes,  being  5-16,  3-8,  7-16,  1-2,  9-16,  5-8, 
3-4,  7-8,  i,  i  1-8,  i  1-4,  i  1-2,  i  3-4,  and  2  inches.  The 
bottom  tool  at  the  extreme  right  has  four  recesses, 


FIG.  l8l.— SHOWING  A  FAULTY  METHOD  OF  SPLITTING  OUT 
CROTCHES. 

5-16,  3-8,  7-16,  and  1-2  inch,  and  is  made  as  shown  in 
Fig.  1 76.  The  reader  will  notice  that  the  back  edge  pro- 
jects over  the  anvil  and  slants,  which  makes  it  very 
convenient  for  swaging  different  kinds  of  clips  and  by 
having  the  swage  short  it  is  rendered  very  conveni- 


BLACKSMITHING. 


ent  also  for  cutting  off  surplus  ends  as  shown  at  No. 
10,  Fig.  150,  but  fordoing  this  work  the  top  swage 
only  is  used.  The  swage  next  to  the  one  on  the 
extreme  right  at  No.  38,  Fig.  i  78.  has  three  recesses, 
3-16,  1-4,  5-i6-inch.  I  do  not  have  top  tools  for  the 
3-16  or  i-4-inch  size  but  I  find  them  useful  in  mak- 


FIG.  182. 


ing  small  half  round  iron.  They  are  made  in  the  same 
way  as  the  oval  tools.  I  mark  the  sizes  of  the  top 
and  the  bottom  tools. 

No.  39,  Fig,  179,  is  a  small  riveting  hammer  wjj 
round  pein   or  pane  of  about  3-8-inch  diai 


1 86 


BLAGKSMITH1NG. 


think  this  kind  of  hammer  is  best  for  riveting  purposes, 
as  it  spreads  the  rivet  every  way  alike. 

No.  40,  Fig.  179,  is  another  riveting  hammer.  It 
is  a  cross  pane  which  for  some  purposes  is  better 
than  the  round  pane. 

No.  41,  Fig.  179,  is  a  light  hand  hammer,  com- 
monly called  a  bench-hammer,  with  a  globular  pane. 


FIG.  183. 


It  is  very  useful  for  chipping  with  a  cold  chisel,  and 
for  light  work  at  the  anvil,  such  as  welding  dashes,  etc. 
It  weighs  one  pound. 

No,  42,  Fig.  1 79,  is  the  ordinary  hand  hammer.  It 
weighs  i  3-4  pounds. 

No.   43,    Fig.    179,  vis  a  horseshoe   hammer,  very 


BLACKSMITHING.  1 87 

short  and  compact,  being  two-faced,  one  end  being 
slightly  globular  to  answer  for  concaving.  Its  weight 
is  i  3-4  pounds. 

No.  44,  Fig.  179,  is  a  heavy  hand  hammer  similar 
to  Nos.  41  and  42.  It  weighs  about  2  1-2  pounds. 

No.  45,  Fig.  179,  is  a  large  cross  pane  hammer 
made  very  plainly.  It  is  useful  in  straightening  heavy, 
irons,  and  also  for  the  helper  as  a  backing  hammer 
on  light  fullers. 

No.  49,  Fig.  179,  is  an  ordinary  sledge  hammer  in 
which  the  eye  is  near  the  center. 


FIG.  184.— SHOWING  A  RIGHT  HAND  JAW  FOR  TONGS. 

No.  50,  Fig.  1 79,  is  a  horseshoe  sledge,  but  it  should 
be  rather  shorter  and  more  compact  than  it  appears 
in  the  illustration. 

Fig.  177  represents  another  sledge.  Tt  will  be 
noticed  that  the  eye  is  nearer  the  top  of  the  sledge, 
and  I  think  this  is  an  improvement  for  heavy  work 
where  the  smith  wants  to  swing  overhead. 

No  51,  Fig.  180,  is  a  group  of  punches.  The  first 
two  on  the  left  hand  side  are  oval  or  eye  punches. 
The  oval  stand  on  the  corner  of  the  square  so  as  to 
have  the  handle  in  the  most  convenient  position,  and 


1 88  BLACKSMITHING. 

are  used  for  punching  eyes,  or  where  the  smith  wishes 
to  swell  out  in  order  to  strengthen  by  punching  an 
oval  hole  first  and  then  driving  a  round  pin  in  after- 
wards. They  can  be  used  to  good  advantage  in 
splitting  out  crotches,  as  there  is  less  danger  of  cold 
sheets  than  when  the  smith  cuts  right  up  with  the 
chisel  as  shown  in  Fig.  181. 

The  next  two  in  the  illustration  are  square  punches, 
and  the  next  four  are  round  punches  of  different  sizes. 

No.  52,  Fig.  1 80,  is  a  bob  punch.  It  has  a  face 
similar  to  a  countersink  only  more  rounding.  It  is 


FIG.  185.— SHOWING  HOW  THE  JAWS  OF  THE  TONGS  NO.  46,  FIG.  179, 
ARE  MADE  TO  FIT  ROUND  IRON. 

useful  to  press  a  cavity  in  a  flat  piece  of  iron  where 
a  jump-weld  is  to  be  made,  as  in  welding  shanks  to 
bottom  swages,  also  for  T  welds. 

No.  53,  Fig.  180,  is  a  side-set  hammer  which  is 
very  handy  for  working  up  an  inside  corner  or  any 
place  where  you  have  to  weld  two  irons  in  the  shape 
of  angle  iron,  or  on  the  landside  of  a  plowshare. 

No.  54,  Fig.  1 80,  represents  two  set  hammers,  one 
being  i  inch  and  the  other  i  1-2  inches  square.  They 


BLACKSMITHING.  189 

are  very  useful  in  making  many  kinds  of  clips,  and 
numerous  other  jobs. 

No.  55,  Fig.  1 80,  also  represents  two  set  hammers 
similar  in  make  but  with  the  eyes  punched  from  dif- 
ferent sides.  They  are  useful  in  plow  work  and  are 
often  used  as  flat  hammer,  where  there  is  not  room 
enough  for  the  ordinary  flat  hammer. 

No.  56,  Fig.  1 80,  represents  two  flat  hammers,  the 
smaller  having  a  face  2  1-4  inches  square,  while  the 
larger  is  2  1-2  inches.  This  tool  is  to  the  blacksmith 
what  the  plane  is  to  the  woodworker.  It  is  what 
we  generally  calculate  to  finish  all  flat  surfaces 
with. 


FIG.  l86.— SHOWING  TONG  JAWS    MADE  FOR    HOLDING  LONG  SQUARE 

IRON. 


We  now  come  to  the  tongs,  and  just  the  same  as 
with  everything  else,  there  is  a  right  and  a  wrong 
way  to  make  them  as  tongs  are  right  and  left-handed. 
The  accompanying  illustration,  Fig.  184,  represents  a 
right  hand  jaw.  It  is  not  often  that  a  pair  of  left 
hand  tongs  are  made,  and,  as  a  rule,  if  a  smith  does 
such  a  thing  by  mistake  in  a  shop  where  there  are 
many  working,  it  produces  so  much  merriment  that 


BLACKSMITHING. 

he  scarcely  ever  forgets  it,  yet  I  have  seen  a  man  of 
several  years'  experience  do  such  a  thing. 

No.  70,  Fig.  183,  is  a  pair  of  pickups.  They 
should  be  kept  in  a  staple  in  front  of  anvil  block,  or 
else  hung  convenient  on  the  side  of  tool  bench. 
They  are  used  by  the  helper  to  pick  up  pins  or  any- 


FIG.  187.— TOOL  USED  IN  MAKING  KEEPERS  FOR  DEMAREST  WAGON 

SEATS. 

thing  else.     They  will  easily  catch   anything  from   2 
inches  downward. 

No.  69,  Fig.  183,  is  a  pair  of  side  tongs.  No.  67, 
Fig.  182,  is  another  pair  of  the  same  kind,  but  larger, 
which  are  very  useful  for  holding  flat  iron.  There 


FIG.  l88. — KEEPER  MADE  WITH  THE  TOOL  SHOWN  IN  FIG.  187. 

is  a  sort  of  calk  turned  on  one  jaw  to  prevent  the 
iron  slipping  sideways. 

No.  62,  Fig.  182,  is  a  pair  of  snipe  bills,  which  are 
very  handy  for  small  bands,  sockets  or  eyes.  One 
of  the  jaws  is  round  and  the  other  is  square,  and  a 
fuller  mark  is  made  up  the  center,  which  I  think  is 


BLACKSMITIIING. 


better  than  making  both  round,  as  it  fits  both  the  out- 
side and  inside  of  band.  They  are  drawn  quite 
small  at  the  point.  The  back  ends  answer  for  a  pair 
of  clip  tongs  to  draw  on  clip  bars  with. 

No.  48,  Fig.  i  79,  is  a  pair  of  hollow  jaw  tongs  which 
are  very  useful  for  holding  round  iron.  Every  black- 
smith should  be  provided  with-  three  or  four  pair 
ranging  from  3-4  inch  upward.  I  always  fuller  up 
the  center  of  my  ordinary  tongs  so  that  they  will 


FIG.  189.— TOOL  USED  IN  MAKING  CLIPS. 

hold  small  round  iron  well.     They  will  hold  flat  iron 
all  the  better  for  it. 

No.  60,  Fig.  182,  is  a  cupping  tool.    It  is  hollowed 
out  with  a  countersunk  drill  and  is  very  useful  for 
finishing  off  nuts  or  the  top  of  square-headed  bolts., 
Four  sizes  of  these  make  a  very  good  set,  but  the 
largest  one  should  have  a  handle. 

No.  58,  Fig.  1 82,  is  a  horseshoe  stamp  which  is  to 
common  to  require  any  description. 

No.  59,  Fig.  182,  is  a  creasen     I  like  it  to  be  hoi- 


192 


BLACKSMITHING. 


lowed  slightly  on  the  inside  face,  as  I  think  it  follows 
the  round  of  the  shoe  better. 

No.  64,  Fig.  182,  represents  a  pair  of  horseshoe 
tongs.  The  jaws  are  short  and  round  so  as  not  to 
project  far  inside  of  the  shoe  and  be  in  the  way  of 
the  horn  of  anvil,  and  at  the  same  time  to  allow  the 
smith  to  shift  the  position  of  the  tongs  without  los- 
ing their  grip. 

No.  68,  Fig.  182,  is  a  pair  of  clip  tongs  which  are 
indispensable  in  welding  up  whiffletree  clips.  The 


FIG.  190.— CLIP  MADE  BY  THE  TOOL  SHOWN  IN  FIG.  189. 

outside  jaw  is  rounding,  while  the  inside  or  short  jaw 
is  concaved  to  fit  outside  of  the  clip. 

No.  71,  Fig.  183,  is  a  pair  of  coulter  tongs.  One 
of  the  jaws  turns  down  on  each  side  of  the  coulter 
shank  which  makes  the  tool  very  convenient  for  hold- 
ing. No.  65,  Fig.  182,  are  similar  tongs  which  are 
very  useful  for  holding  square  iron. 

No.  46,  Fig.  179,  is  a  pair  of  tongs  for  holding 
large  round  iron.  They  are  very  convenient 
for  holding  large  bolts  as  the  smith  can  let  the 


BLACKSMITHING. 


'93 


head  project  back  of  the  jaws.  They  are  similar  to 
to  the  tongs  shown  in  No.  69,  Fig.  183,  excepting  that 
both  jaws  are  hollowed  to  fit  the  round  iron  as  shown 
in  Fig.  185.  Fig.  186  represents  a  pair  of  tongs  for 
holding  long  square  iron. 

Fig.  187  represents  a  very  simple  and  handy  tool 
for  making  keepers  for  Demarest  wagon  seats.  I 
usually  make  them  of  7-8-inch  band  iron.  To  make 
them  I  place  a  piece  of  i-2-inch  round  iron  on  the 
anvil,  lay  the  band  iron  across  it,  then  place  the  top 


FIG.  191.— SHOWING  HOW  THE  CLIP  IS  BENT  BY  THE  MANDRIL. 

tool,  Fig.  187,  strike  two  or  three  blows,  and  the  job 
is  done  as  shown  in  Fig.  188. 

Fig.  189  shows  a  tool  for  making  clips  of  round  iron 
as  illustrated  in  Fig.  190.  This  tool  will  save  a  great 
deal  of  time  and  do  good  work.  The  clips  are  used 
largely  in  some  shops  for  clipping  on  springs,  etc. 
The  tool  is  intended  to  be  used  in  the  vise  and  has 
a  projecting  part,  as  shown  at  A,  to  rest  on  the  vise. 
It  is  intended  for  three  different  sizes  of  clips,  i  1-4, 


194  BLACKSMITHING. 

i  1-2  and  i  3-4  inches.  To  make  it  take  a  piece  of 
i-inch  square  iron,  fuller  along  the  center  with  a 
3-8  inch  fuller  the  length  of  jaw.  Then  use  the  set 
hammer  on  the  lower  side  and  reduce  to  3-4  inch 
thick;  then  use  the  side  set  hammer  to  true  up; 
plunge  and  form  the  joint  as  at  J3,  taper  down  for 
handles  and  weld  on  a  piece  of  5-8-inch  round  iron 
so  as  to  make  a  handle  one  foot  long.  The  jaw  ir>  9 
inches  long,  measuring  from  the  bolt  hole.  After 
both  jaws  are  made  put  in  the  bolt  C,  clamp  firmly 
together  and  drill  six  holes  the  size  and  width  of 
your  clips.  Be  careful  not  to  drill  any  larger  as  the 
clips  require  to  be  held  firmly.  If  a  little  small  they 


FIG.  192.— SECTIONAL  VIEW  OF  A  SIDE  OF  THE  TOOL  SHOWN  IN 

FIG.  189. 

can  easily  be  opened  a  little  on  the  sides  with  a  round 
file.  Then  with  a  rounding  chisel  cut  the  corners  as 
shown  at  D,  D,  D,  and  smooth  out  with  the  end  of  the 
file  and  it  is  ready  for  use.  To  make  the  clip,  cut  off 
the  desired  length  of  iron  and  screw  ends,  bend  on  a 
clip  mandril  as  shown  at  Fig.  191,  then  place  in  the 
tool,  grip  firmly  in  the  hand,  give  a  few  sharp  blows 
on  the  top  with  a  suitable  swage  and  you  have  a  clip 
similar  to  that  shown  in  Fig.  190.  Fig.  192  is  a  sec- 
tional view  of  the  tool. — By  AMATEUR. 


BLACKSMITHING.  1 95 

ABOUT    HAMMERS. 

Nearly  every  one  has  noticed  the  name  of  David 
Maydole  stamped  upon  hammers.  David  Maydole 
made  hammers  the  study  of  his  lifetime,  and  after 
many  years  of  thoughtful  and  laborious  experiment 
he  had  actually  produced  an  article  to  which,  with 
all  his  knowledge  and  experience,  he  could  suggest 
no  improvements. 

Let  me  tell  you  how  he  came  to  think  of  making 
hammers.  Forty  years  ago  he  lived  in  a  small  vil- 
lage of  the  State  of  New  York;  no  railroad  yet,  and 
even  the  Erie  Canal  many  miles  distant.  He  was 
the  village  blacksmith,  his  establishment  consisting 
of  himself  and  a  boy  to  blow  the  bellows.  He  was 
a  good  deal  troubled  with  his  hammers.  Sometimes 
the  heads  would  fly  off.  If  the  metal  was  too  soft 
the  hammer  would  spread  out  and  wear  away;  if  it 
was  too  hard  it  would  split.  At  that  time  black- 
smiths made  their  own  hammers,  and  he  knew  very 
little  about  mixing  ores  so  as  to  produce  the  tough- 
est iron.  But  he  was  particularly  troubled  with  the 
hammer  getting  off  the  handle — a  mishap  which 
could  be  ^dangerous  as  well  as  inconvenient.  One 
hammer  had  an  iron  rod  running  down  through  the 
handle  with  a  nut  screwed  on  at  the  end.  Another 
was  wholly  composed  of  iron,  the  head  and  handle 
being  all  one  piece.  There  were  various  other 
devices,  some  of  which  were  exceedingly  clumsy  and 
awkward.  At  last  he  hit  upon  an  improvement 


196  BLACKSMITHING. 

which  led  to  his  being  able  to  put  a  hammer  upon  a 
handle  in  such  a  way  that  it  would  stay  there.  He 
made  what  is  called  an  adze-handled  hammer,  the 
head  being  attached  to  the  handle  after  the  manner 
of  an  adze. 

The  improvement  consists  in  merely  making  a 
larger  hole  for.  the  handle  to  go  into,  by  which  device 
it  has  a  much  firmer  hold  of  the  head,  and  can  easily 
be  made  extremely  tight.  Each  hammer  is  ham- 
mered out  of  a  piece  of  iron,  and  is  tempered  over  a 
slow  charcoal  fire,  under  the  inspection  of  an  experi- 
enced man.  He  looks  as  though  he  were  cooking 
his  hammers  on'  a  charcoal  furnace,  and  he  watches 
them,  until  the  process  is  complete,  as  a  cook 
watches  mutton  chops. 

The  neighborhood  in  which  David  Maydole  lived 
would  scarcely  have  required  a  half-dozen  new  ham- 
mers in  a  year,  but  one  day  six  carpenters  came  to 
work  on  a  new  church,  and  one  of  these  men  left  his 
hammer  at  home  and  came  to  David  Maydole's 
blacksmith  shop  to  get  one  made.  The  carpenter 
was  delighted  with  it,  and  when  the  other  five  car- 
penters saw  it,  they  came  to  the  shop  the  next  day 
and  ordered  five  more  hammers  made.  They  did 
not  understand  all  the  blacksmith's  notions  about 
tempering  and  mixing  the  metals,  but  they  saw  at  a 
glance  that  the  head  and  handle  were  so  united  that 
there  never  was  likely  to  be  any  divorce  between 
them.  To  a  carpenter  building  a  wooden  house,  the 


BLACKSMITHING.  1 97 

removal  of  that  one  defect  was  a  great  boon.  A 
dealer  in  tools  in  New  Yorlc  City  saw  one  of  these 
hammers,  and  then  David  Maydole's  fortune  was 
made,  for  he  immediately  ordered  all  the  hammers 
the  blacksmith  could  make.  In  a  few  years  he  made 
so  many  hammers  that  he  employed  a  hundred  and 
fifty  men. — From  "  Captains  of  Industry''  by  JAMES 
PARTON. 

DRESSING    UP  OR  FACING  HAMMERS,   REPAIRING  BITS    OR 

DRILLS. 

Good  tools  are  among  the  most  essential  things 
about  a  blacksmith  shop.  You  need  a  good  fire,  a 
good  anvil,  and  also  a  good'  hammer.  You  may 
have  fire,  anvil,  and  all  your  other  tools  in  good 
shape,  but  if  your  hammer  is  rough  and  broken  you 
cannot  do  good  work,  nor  do  so  much  in  a  day.  I 
think  that  every  man  who  calls  himself  a  good  black- 
smith should  be  capable  of  dressing  his  hammer. 
But  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  just  beginning 
the  trade  I  will  give  my  way  of  doing  this  job. 

In  the  first  place  I  open  the  middle  of  my  fire  and 
fill  it  up  with  charcoal,  using  the  mineral  coal  only 
as  a  backer.  Heat  only  the  face  you  wish  to  dress 
as  by  so  doing  you  will  not  change  the  shape  or  dis- 
turb the  eye.  Upset  on  the  face  and  draw  down 
on  the  sides.  If  the  face  is  broken  very  badly  it 
maybe  necessary  to  trim  off  a  little,  but  by  upsetting 
and  drawing  down  several  times  you  can  get  quite  a 


198  BLACKSMITHING. 

large  break  out  without  much  trimming.  After  you 
have  completed  the  forging  it  is  a  good  plan  to  put 
the  hammer  in  the  -dust  of  the  forge  and  let  it  anneal; 
and  then  it  can  be  leveled  with  a  file  and  ground  off 
smooth. 

To  temper  it,  heat  only  the  part  you  wish  to  hard- 
en, to  a  good  red,  dip  and  hold  under  water  until 
cold.  Then  have  a  thick  ring  (an  old  ax  collar  will 
do)  that  the  face  of  the  hammer  will  go  through 
while  the  sides  will  cpme  in  contact  with  the  ring, 
heat  the  ring  hot  and  place  it  over  the  hammer,  turn 
the  ring  slowly  so  as  to  keep  the  heat  even  on  all  sides 
at  once,  draw  until  it  shows  a  little  color,  then  try  v/ith 
a  fine  sharp  file,  and  when  you  can  make  the  file  take 
hold  it  has  drawn  enough.  There  are  so  many  grades 
of  steel  and  different  temperatues  of  heat  and  water 
that  you  cannot  always  rely  on  the  colors.  The 
middle  of  the  face  should  be  left  as  hard  as  you  can 
keep  it,  for  if  you  let  the  heat  from  the  eye  part  run 
down  and  draw  the  face,  it  will  be  too  soft  and  set- 
tle, leaving  the  outside  circle  the  highest.  If  the 
tool  is  double-faced  do  all  your  forging  and  finishing 
before  you  temper.  Then  after  you  have  tempered 
the  largest  face,  wind  a  wet  cloth  around  it  and  keep 
it  cold  while  you  are  heating  the  other  face. 

T  think  that  round  sides  with  the  outside  edge 
rounded  in  a  little,  stand  better  than  the  square  or 
octagon.  Get  a  good  handle  and  put  it  in  so  that  it 
will  stay. 


BLACKSMITHING.  I 99 

Every  one  who  does  repairing  breaks  a  good 
many  bits,  especially  small  ones.  They  usually 
break  at  the  end  of  the  twist,  leaving  the  shank  long 
enough  to  make  another  bit  by  flattening  about  an 
inch  of  the  end  and  twist  once  around.  Then  hammer 
down  the  edge,  file  a  diamond  point  leaving  the  cut- 
ting part  a  little  larger  than  the  seat  of  the  bit,  tem- 
per and  you  have  a  drill  as  good  as  new.  Drills  can 
be  made  in  the  same  way. — By  F.  P.  HARRIMAN. 

HAMMERS    AND    HANDLES/ 

Almost  every  blacksmith  has  a  different  style  of 
hammer  or  handle,  and  every  one  thinks  that  his 
way  of  making  them  is  right.  One  wants  a  heavy 
hammer  and  another  a  light  hammer,  for  the  same 
kind  of  work. 

One  wants  a  long  hammer  and  another  wants  a 
short  one.  One  wants  his  hammer  to  stand  out  and 
another  likes  his  to  stand  in.  One  wants  a  long 
handle  and  another  prefers  a  short  handle.  One 
wants  his  handle  to  spring  and  another  does  not.  And 
so  it  goes  on  in  that  way  all  through  the  country. 

Everyone  will  tell  you  that  his  way  is  the  best, 
and  will  explain  why  it  is  the  best.  Now,  my  opin- 
ion in  regard  to  the  above  is  that  they  are  all  in 
almost  every  case  right.  I  make  all  my  hammers 
and  handles,  and  think  they  are  the  right  kind, 
simply  because  they  suit  me  and  I  can  do  the  work 
required  with  them  satisfactorily. 


2OO  BLTACKSMITHING. 

I  do  not  claim  that  there  is  any  right  way  to  make 
a  blacksmith's  hammer,  But,  of  course,  there  is  a 
certain  line  that  you  cannot  pass  without  going  to 
extremes. 

For  instance,  if  you  should  make  a  hammer  a  foot 
long,  with  a  handle  ten  inches  long,  that  would  be 
out  of  all  proportion,  and  would  not  be  convenient 
to  work  with,  and  it  coul'd  not  be  said  by  anyone 
that  it  was  right.  But  supposing  one  man  makes  an 
ordinary  hammer  with  a  long  pane,  another  makes 
one  with  a  short  pane;  each  one  will  claim  that  his 
hammer  is  right  and  that  he  could  not  do  his  work 
as  well  with  another. 

Now,  how  shall  we  determine  which  hammer  is 
the  nearest  right?  I  should  say  both  are  right,  for 
as  long  as  they  can  do  the.  work  required,  and  they 
are  satisfied  with  their  hammers,  that  is  all  that  is 
necessary. — By  G.  B.  J. 

A  HAMMER  THAT  DOES  NOT  MARK  IRON. 

I  was  in  a  country  blacksmith's  shop  the  other 
day,  and  while  talking  with  the  boss  I  noticed  a 
workman  who  was  trying  to  get  the  kink  out  of  an 
axle  spindle  with  a  hammer  and  swage.  Every 
"lick"  made  it  worse  and  filled  it  with  hammer 
marks.  I  offered  to  show  him  how  to  make  a  ham- 
mer that  would  do  the  job  properly.  The  offer  was 
accepted,  and  this  is  the  way  the  hammer  was  made. 
I  first  called  for  about  four  or  five  pounds  of  old 


BLACKSMITHING.  2OI 

lead.  This  was  furnished,  and  I  then  took  a  piece  of 
three-quarter-inch  round  iron  about  fifteen  inches 
long  and  upset  the  end,  as  shown  in  A,  Fig.  194  of 
the  accompanying  illustrations,  to  about  i  i-8-inch 
and  tapered  it  to  B,  a  length  of  2  inches.  This  left 
the  handle  portion  C  about  12  inches  long.  I  next 


FIG.    193.  — SHOWING  THE   HAMMER-HEAD. 

got  a  box  full  of  yellow  mould,  formed  a  circle  in  it 
of  about  two  inches  in  diameter  and  placed  the 
handle  at  the  center.  With  a  piece  of  sheet-iron 
I  made  a  ladle,  melted  the  lead  and  poured  it  into 
the  impromptu  mould.  After  a  wait  of  twenty 
minutes  I  lifted  my  hammer  out  of  the  sand, 


FIG.  194.— SHOWING  THE   HANDLE. 

dressed   it   up   with  a  hand-hammer   and   then   the 
job  was  finished. 

In  Fig.  193  D  is  the  hammer,  and  E  is  the  place 
occupied  by  the  handle.  Fig.  195  illustrates  a  sim- 
pler method  of  making  the  tool.  A  hole  is 
the  sand  as  at  D,  and  the  handle  is  stucl 


202  BLACKSMITHlNG. 

then  the  lead  is  heated  and  poured  in.     These  ham- 
mers will  not  mark  the  iron. — By  IRON  DOCTOR. 

AN    IMPROVED    TUYERE. 

When  I  first  began  to  work  at  the  forge,  nearly 
fifiy  years  ago,  the  old  bull's-eye  tuyere  was  the 
best  in  use,  but  soft  coke  (or  "  breese  "  as  it  was 
called,  being  the  refuse  of  the  rolling  mill  furnaces), 
coming  into  use  disposed  of  the  bull's-eye,  so  the 
water  tuyere  was  invented  as  a  necessity.  For  more 
than  thirty  years  I  heard  its  gurgling  waters,  always 
looking  upon  it  as  an  evil  to  be  tolerated  because  it 
could  not  be  avoided.  Fancy  all  your  fires  started 
on  Monday  morning  in  the  winter,  temperature 
below  zero,  water  just  getting  warm  and  then  find- 


FIG.  195.— SHOWING  A  SIMPLER  METHOD  OF  MAKING  THE  TOOL. 

ing  pipes  all  bursted,  new  ones  to  be  fitted,  corners 
to  be  bent  in  one  of  the  forges  at  the  risk  of  spoil- 
ing a  tuyere  for  want  of  water  in  it,  customers  wait- 
ing, foreman  swearing,  men  freezing  and  shop  liter- 
ally upside  down. 

Next  came  the  tank  and  tuyere  in  one,  a  good 
improvement  ;  also  the  c  al  back  made  of  wet 
"  slack,"  but  owincr  to  its  extravagant  use  of  fuel  not 

o  & 

to  be  tolerated.     Then  came  the  bottom  blast.     I 


BLACKSMITHING. 

do  not  know  when  or  where  its  first  originated  (in- 
vent or  a  "  crank,"  no  doubt). 

As  I  was  determined  to  do  without  a  water  tuyere, 
if  possible,  I  tried  most  of  the  fancy  "turn  'ems  and 
twist  'ems  "  in  the  market,  patented  and  otherwise, 
and  all  of  them  spread  the  fire  too  much  for 
economy,  in  fact,  some  of  them  made  a  series  of  fires 
all  over  the  hearth — the  tuyere  getting  hot  and 
clinging  to  the  "  clinker "  with  a  matrimonial  tie 


Top  of  Forge. 


+  FIG.  196.  — IMPROVED  TUYERE,  AS  MADE  BY  "  IRON  JACK." 

never  to  be  divorced  until  one  or  both  of  them  was 
deadly  cold — making  me  hot,  too,  both  in  body  and 
temper.  I  then  got  the  tuyere  craze  and  schemed 
all  sorts  of  "  jimcracks,"  if  possible,  worse  than  the 
others,  until  at  last  I  concluded  that  moving  blast 
orifices  in  tuyeres  at  the  bottom  of  a  forge  fire  were 
out  of  place,  worse  than  useless,  the  poker  being  fcll 
sufficient;  and  to  keep  the  tuyere  sufficiently  cool  to 
prevent  the  clinker  from  clinging,  it  only  wanted  a 


2O4  BLACKSMITHING. 

lump  of  iron  big  enough  where  the  fire  could  not 
touch  it  to  keep  the  part  cool  where  it  did  touch. 
Coming  across  an  old  cannon-ball,  which,  I  suppose, 
had  been  used  to  knock  down  the  walls  of  Peters- 
burg during  the  war,  and  big  enough  it  was,  for  the 
matter  of  that,  to  knock  down  the  walls  of — well,  I 
won't  say  where — it  being  about  nine  inches  in 
diameter  and  weighing  upward  of  one  hundred 
pounds,  I  said  to  myself,  "  Here  is  my  tuyere."  So 
I  bored  a  hole  in  one  side  and  screwed  a  piece  of 
3-inch  wrought  iron  pipe  into  it,  then  giving  it  a  quar- 
ter turn  on  the  face  plate  I  bored  a  2  1-2  inch  hole  at 
right  angles  and  into  the  other.  I  then  drilled  three 
3-4  inch  holes  in  the  other  side  and  chiseled  them 
into  a  mouth  for  the  blast  2  1-2  inches  by  3-4  inch, 
which  is  a  good  size  for  the  fan  blast  for  regular 
work.  I  prefer  a  flat  hole  to  a  round  one  for  the 
bottom  blast,  as  it  does  not  allow  so  large  a  cinder 
to  fnll  through  when  the  blast  is  off.  After  putting 
a  trap  door  at  the  bottom  to  empty  the  tuyere  I 
fixed  it  on  the  hearth  6  inches  below  the  level  of 
the  top  of  the  hearth,  making  a  fine  brick  basin,  as 
shown  in  section  in  the  accompanying  engraving. 
The  success  of  this  tuyere  is  complete,  the  blast 
coming  straight  out  of  the  mouth  like  shot  from  a 
gim,  making  the  fire^  very  intense  at  the  proper 
place  (not  spreading  all  over  the  hearth),  which 
economizes  the  fuel  as  far  as  possible  consistent  with 
the  work  to  be  done,  and  the  mass  of  metal  always 


BLACKSMITHING.  2O5 

keeps  the  tuyere  cool  and  cakes  the  clinker  so  as  to 
make  it  easy  to  lift  out  of  the  fire  with  the  poker,  no 
matter  how  long  or  how  heavily  it  is  worked.  Should 
anyone  feel  disposed  to  try  it  he  will  be  more  than 
pleased.  The  forge  and  anvil  should  be  both  on  a 
level  to  permit  the  crane  to  operate  easily  without 
trouble. — By  IRON  JACK. 

HOME-MADE  BLOWER. 

I  commenced  business  without  tools  and  without 
any  other  resources  than  my  own  strong  right  arm. 
After  getting  an  anvil  I  experienced  the  need  of  a 
blower.  Those  which  were  for  sale  were  high  priced, 
and  nothing  but  the  cash  in  hand  would  buy  one.  In 
order  to  do  the  best  possible  under  the  circumstances, 
I  took  a  good  look  at  one  in  a  store,  by  which  I  ob- 
tained the  principle  on  which  it  was  operated,  and  then 
went  home  and  commenced  work  upon  one  upon  my 
own  account.  I  made  it  of  wood,  and  succeeded  so 
well  as  to  make  something  by  which  a  sort  of  a  fire 
could  be  started.  When  it  was  in  motion,  however, 
my  neighbors  thought  I  was  running  a  threshing 
machine.  It  could  be  heard  of  a  still  morning  near- 
ly a  mile  away.  After  using  this  for  a  short  time,  I 
concluded  I  would  try  to  make  a  better  one,  and 
now  I  will  tell  you  how  I  set  about  it. 

I  took  three  pieces  of  white  pine  plank,  12  by  14 
inches  and  i  1-2  inches  thick.  I  dressed  and  glued  them 
together  crosswise,  in  order  to  obtain  the  greatest 


2O6 


BLACKSMITHING. 


possible  strength.  I  took  the  piece  to  a  jig-saw, 
and  had  a  circle,  perfectly  true,  taken  out  of  the 
center,  8  inches  in  diameter.  I  then  closed  this  hole 
by  placing  a  half-inch  poplar  board  on  each  side,  the 
same  size  as  the  large  block.  These  thin  pieces  I 
screwed  down  tight  with  eight  screws  on  each  board. 
Removing  one  of  them  I  got  the  center  of  the  edge 
of  the  hole  on  the  inside  of  the  one  that  remained, 
and  by  reversing  the  operation,  got  the  center  upon 
the  opposite  one.  From  this  measurement  I  cut  a 
hole  4  inches  in  diameter  through  each  of  these  thin 
pieces,  which  was  to  serve  to  let  the  air  into  the 


\ 


\ 


FIG.  197.— GENERAL  SHAPE  OF  THE  PADDLES  OR  FANS  IN  "NO 
NAME'S  "  BLOWER. 

blower.  By  placing  the  boards  back  in  their  original 
position  the  holes  would  be  in  the  center  of  the  hole 
cut  in  the  large  block. 

I  next  took  two  pieces  of  iron  1-2  by  i  1-4  inches 
and  drilled  a  5-1 6-inch  hole  through  them  in  the 
middle.  I  took  a  piece  of  3-8-inch  steelrod  and 
made  two  thumbscrews  of  it;  cut  threads  upon 
them  to  work  tightly  in  the  holes  in  the  irons.  I 
made  them  very  pointed  and  chilled  them  very 
hard.  Next  I  took  a  piece  of  3-8-inch  steel  rod  and 


BLACKSMITHING. 


cut  it  the  right  length  to  fit  between  the  points  of 
the  two  thumb-screws,  and  with  the  center  punch  I 
made  a  small  puncture  in  the  center  of  the  ends  of 
this  rod  to  receive  the  pointed  ends  of  the  thumb- 
screws, above  described.  Next  I  drilled  two  holes 


FIG.  198.— SHAPE  OF  SIDE  IRONS  HOLDING  THE  AXLE  OF  FAN 

IN  "  NO  NAME'S"  BLOWER. 

in  this  shaft,  one  about  i  1-2  inches  from  one  end, 
and  the  other  about  2  inches  from  the  pulley 
end.  On  the  long  end  I  placed  a  small  cotton 
spindle  pulley,  and  i  1-4  inches  .in  diameter  and 

A  SMin. 


B  4M  in.'  B 

FIG.  199.— PATTERN  OF  FANS,  TO  BE  MADE  OF  GALVANIZED  IRON. 

1-4  of  an  inch  thick,  having  a  groove  in  its  surface  for 
a  small  round  bolt,  such  as  is  frequently  used  on 
sewing  machines.  I  next  took  a  piece  of  sheet  iron, 
heavy  gauge,  and  cut  some  paddles  or  fans  4  by  8 


208  BLACKSMITHING. 

inches,  in  shape  as  indicated  by  Fig.  197,  accompany- 
ing sketch.  I  riveted  these  fans  to  shaft  and  bent 
them  up,  thus  forming  four  paddles,  located  at 
equal  distances  apart.  The  fan  was  now  done,  ex- 
cept putting  together.  I  screwed  fast  the  straight 


FIG.  200.— CENTER-PIECE  TO  WHICH  FANS  ARE  ATTACHED. 

pieces  of  iron  that  held  the  thumb-screws  and  took 
care  that  the  screw  came  exactly  in  the  center  of  the 
hole,  in  order  that  the  fan  should  turn  freely.  I 
turned  the  box  over  and  placed  the  fan  in  the  hole, 


BLACKSMITHING.  209 

with  two  pivots  together,  and  then  fastened  in  position 
the  other  piece  of  iron,  which  was  made  in  the 
shape  shown  in  Fig.  198  of  the  sketches.  I  exercised 
great  care  that  it  also  should  come  exactly  in  the 
center  and  at  the  same  time  be  in  such  a  position  as 
not  to  come  in  contact  with  the  bolt.  I  took 
care  also  that  the  face  hung  perfectly  true  in  the 
center  and  then  screwed  down  the  second  board.  I 


FIG.  201.— SIDE  PLATES,  BETWEEN  WHICH  FANS  ARE  FASTENED. 

« 

next  made  a  hole  in  the  end  of  the  box  3  inches  in 
diameter,  making  it  to  intersect  with  the  hole  in  the 
box  at  the  upper  part.  I  took  care  that  it  should  be 
smooth  and  clean.  I  made  a  frame  of  2  by  3  hard 
wood  in  such  a  way  as  to  mount  the  blower  in  a  con- 
venient position  near  my  forge.  A  driving-wheel 
grooved  on  the  fan  to  accommodate  a  bolt  of  the 


2IO 


BLACKSMITHING. 


kind  above  described,  and  operated  with  a  crank,  is 
fastened  to  two  standards  at  the  front  of  the  frame, 
thus  affording  motive  power.  My  fan,  constructed 
in  this  manner,  has  now  been  in  use  over  two  years, 
and  is  in  perfect  condition  at  the  present  time.  It 
gives  all  the  blast  that  I  require,  and  runs  noiselessly. 
— By  No  NAME. 


FIG.  202.  — CROSS  SECTION  THROUGH  COMPLETED  FAN. 
» 

HOME-MADE  FAN  FOR   A  BLACKSMITH'S  FORGE. 

I  think  anyone  with  ordinary  mechanical  skill,  by 
following  the  directions  which  I  shall  attempt  to  pre- 
sent, will  have  no  difficulty  in  building  a  fan  which 
will^perform  satisfactorily. 

First  cut  twelve  piece  of  galvanized  iron  to  the 
shape  and  dimensions  shown  in  Fig.  199.  These 


BLACKSMITHING. 


21  I 


should  be  about  1-16  of  an  inch  thick.  Four  square 
studs  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  long,  are  left 
on  the  edges  of  each  plate.  The  distance  from  A 
to  A  is  3  1-2  inches,  from  B  to  B,  4  1-2  inches,  and 
from  C  to  C,  4  1-2  inches.  Punch  two  full  quarter- 
inch  holes  in  each  piece.  Make  a  middle  piece  of 


FIG.  203.— SIDE  ELEVATION  OF  COMPLETED  FAN. 

metal  like  Fig.  200,  which  should  be  about  five 
inches  in  diameter,  and  seven-eighths  or  an  inch 
thick.  This  can  be  made  of  brass,  zinc,  or  iron. 
Drill  two  holes  in  each  arm  to  match  the  holes  in 
plates  shown  in  Fig.  199.  Then  put  two  of  these 
plates  on  each  arm,  with  quarter-inch  bolts  as  is 


212 


BLACASMITHING. 


shown  at  A  in  Fig,  200.  Then  cut  two  circular 
plates  after  the  pattern  shown  in  Fig.  201.  These 
are  to  be  dished  as  shown  in  Fig.  202,  in  order  to 
fit  the  middle  of  the  fan  nicely.  Have  them  quite  as 
large  as  the  middle  of  the  fan.  In  the  center  of 
these  plates  are  draught  holes,  B,  through  which  the 


FIG.  204. — LONGITUDINAL  SECTION   THROUGH   COMPLETED   FAN. 

air  will  enter  the  fan.  These  are  to  be  four  inches 
in  diameter.  Each  plate  has  twelve  long  narrow 
holes  punched  in  it  as  shown  in  Fig.  201,  and  a 
strong  zinc  washer  is  soldered  upon  it.  This  plate  is 
now  forced  on  to  the  side  of  the  fan.  The  studs  will 


BLACK  SMITHING.  213 

of  course  project  through  this  plate  rather  more 
than  half  an  inch.  By  taking  a  chisel  or  screw 
driver,  and  putting  it  between  the  studs  or  lugs,  one 
part  can  be  turned  one  way  and  the  other  the  other, 
as  in  Fig.  201,  and  the  plates  will  be  fast.  A  good 
bit  of  solder  should  then  be  run  over  the  whole,  as 
shown  by  the  dotted  lines  at  F'm  Fig.  201.  The 
next  thing  is  to  take  two  of  pieces  i  1-4  inch  plank, 
and  cut  them  to  the  shape  shown  in  Fig.  203.  They 
should  be  grooved  as  shown  by  the  dotted  line 
about  one  and  one  fourth  inches  from  the  edge. 
This  portion  is  to  form  the  box  for  the  fan.  Fig. 


18  in. 
FIG.  205.— SPINDLE  AND  PULLEY  FOR  DRIVING  THE  FAN. 

204  shows  the  fan  put  together,  but  with  one  side 
and  one  plate  removed.  Now  a  sheet  of  iron  3-32 
of  an  inch  thick,  and  say  five  inches  wide,  must  be 
bent  to  the  shape  of  the  groove  shown  by  the  dot- 
ted line  in  Fig.  203.  Put  this  into  the  grooves 
between  the  two  wooden  sides,  and  bolt  all  together 
with  quarter-inch  bolts  and  nuts..  The  bolts  should 
be  put  in  four  inches  apart  all  around.  Zinc  bear- 
ings four  inches  wide  should  be  used,  and  the  whole 
made  to  fit  firmly  to  a  one-inch  board  about  twelve 
inches  wide.  Turn  a  wooden  pulley,  about  three 


214  BLACKSMITHING. 

inches  in  diameter,  with  a  convex  face,  something 
like  that  shown  in  Fig.  205^  The  spindle  of  this 
pulley  should  be  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter, 
and  eighteen  inches  long.  The  outlet  at  the  mouth  of 
the  fan  is  four  inches  square.  The  nozzle  in  the  fire 
can  be  made  two  inches,  or  any  desired  size.— By  K. 

MINERS'  TOOLS  AND  SMITH  WORK. 
When  I  was  on  Ballarat  Diggings  from  1852  to  '59 
there  were  sledge  hammers  in  use  for  various  pur- 
poses; thus  in  my  shop  I  had  sledge  hammers  for 
the  ordinary  strikers,  which  weighed  say,  I4lbs.  each, 
and  as  a  sort  of  corps  de  reserve,  one  of  28  Ibs.;  and 
as  a  good  striker  was  not  always  to  the  fore,  I  usually 
wielded  a  hand  hammer  myself  of  4  Ibs.  for  sharpening 
the  miners'  picks,  for  which  I  received  when  a  "rush" 
was  on,  is.  per  point,  never  less  than  i^.  6d.  per  point, 
2s.  6d.  for  steeling,  and  $s.  for  laying  and  steeling ; 
also  I  got  los.  for  making  an  ordinary  Cornish 
hammer-headed  driving  pick.  I  think  that  the 
weight  I  stated  would  be  about  the  average  for  strik- 
ing the  heads  of  jumpers  for  quartz  reef,  and  what 
we  termed  cement,  which  might  be  likened  to  masses 
of  stone,  imbedded  in  a  slaggy  sort  of  glass;  but  as 
those  engaged  in  the  search  for  the  precious  metal 
were  representatives  of,  say,  every  country,  calling 
and  want  of  calling  upon  this  sublunary  sphere,  so 
were  the  tools  and  the  "  shooting  irons"  which  came 
to  me  for  repair. 


BLACKSMITHING.  2  I  5 

I  was  renowned  for  tempering  the  miners'  gear.  I 
think  that  about  i  in  500  smiths  is  fitto  be  trusted  to 
manfacture  any  tool  from  cast  steel  without  over- 
heating same.  I  have  not  been  brought  up  a  black- 
smith, being  more  in  the  line  of  a  fitter  of  the  knotstick 
species,  and  I  have  not  yet  met  with  a  blacksmith 
that  I  would  trust  to  forge  me  any  kind  of  tools  for 
lathe,  etc.  Now,  please  to  bear  in  mind  that  this 
does  not  apply  to  men  who  make  a  specialty  of  tool- 
making  but  only  to  the  ordinary  general  men  of  the 
shops.  A  dull  red  in  a  dusty  place  is  not  enough 
for  the  welfare  of  cast  steel,  but  this  entails  a  lot  of 
additional  hammering,  which  tells  upon  a  man's  wrist 
in  an  unpleasant  manner.  At  same  heat  I  dip  drills  or 
jumpers  steadily  into  ordinary  water  not  containing 
any  sort  of  quack  medicines  therein. 

A  proper  smith's  hand  hammer  always  has  a  com- 
paratively small  rounded  pane,  the  pane  for  drawing- 
out  purposes  being  upon  the  sledge  harrmer,  but  I 
employed  out  on  the  Diggings  for  all-round  jobs  a 
German,  who  probably  could  make  anything  com- 
plete with  hammers  alone,  from  an  elbow  for  stove- 
pipes to  figures  and  foliage,  and  he  spoke  of  having 
alongside  the  anvil  in  Germany,  say  some  fifty  dif- 
ferent sorts  and  weights  of  hammers. 

To  stop  the  ring  of  an  anvil.  Let  the  spike, 
which  'ought  to  be  in  the  block  to  keep  the  anvil  in 
situ,  fit  the  hole  in  it  tight,  and  let  the  adjacent  iron 
of  the  anvil's  bottom  bed  upon  said  block,  and  its 


2l6  BLACKSMITHING. 

vibration  will  be  stopped  once  for  all.  The  reason 
why  we  don't  have  more  articles  upon  smithwork  is 
undoubtedly  because,  in  the  bulk,  English  smiths  are 
uneducated,  and  like  all  such,  grudge  to  afford  any 
information  upon  that  or  any  other  subject,  and 
they  abound  in  quasi  nostrums  for  accomplishing 
many  things. 

With  regard  to  making  a  weld,  one  of  your  cor- 
respondents says  :  "  Dip  each  piece  in  sand,"  etc. 
Now,  there  are  many  varieties  of  sand,  such  as  that 
about  here,  which  is  deficient  in  the  matter  of  silica, 
which  I  opine  is  the  material  which,  by  melting  at 
the  necessary  heat  just  previous  to  the  melting  of  the 
iron,  forms  a  coating  of  glass  over  the  iron,  and  so 
prevents  its  oxidation  during  its  heating  and  transit 
to  the  anvil;  therefore,  I  find  it  better  to  collect  the 
bottoms  out  of  a  grindstone  trough,  taking  care  that 
no  debris  of  zinc,  copper,  lead,  tin  oranything  abound- 
ing in  sulphur,  be  used  upon  said  stone;  and  he  has 
omitted  to  mention  that  an  important  factor  in  a 
sound  weld  is  that,  at  the  instant  of  taking  the  two 
pieces  to  the  anvil,  the  operator,  or  operators,  should 
strike  each  piece  gently,  behind  the  heated  part, 
upon  the  anvil,  in  order  to  knock  off  all  impedimenta; 
with  lightning  rapidity,  place  one  upon  the  other,  tap 
gently  upon  the  "  center  "  of  the  weld,  and  quickly 
close  up  the  two  thin  ends,  but  bearing  in  mind  to 
work  from  the  center  to  the  outside 

An  amateur  will  find  that  a  serious  difficulty  will 


BLACKSMITHING.  21 7 

be  encountered  when  he  tries  to  hold  anything,  more 
especially  cast  steel,  in  a  tongs.  When  learning  how 
to  turn  the  work  upon  its  side,  be  sure  to  turn  so 
that  the  "back"  of  the  hand  is  uppermost,  or  a  bad 
striker  will.be  likely  by  lowering  his  back  hand  to 
plant  a  lot  of  the  hot  slag  into  the  palm  of  your  hand, 
or  you  may  accomplish  this  by  bad  striking  upon 
your  own  account.  When  hitting  a  job  upon  the 
anvil,  do  not  strike  in  various  places,  as  a  rule,  un- 
less when  necessary  to  place  the  work  over  a  parti- 
cular part,  as  the  edge  or  on  the  beak.  Keep  your 
hammer  going  up  and  down,  as  if  it  were  in  guides, 
drawing  the  work  back  or  forward  as  required. 

There  is  an  art  in  making  and  keeping  up  the 
fire.  It  depends  very  much  upon  the  fuel  used.  If 
a  heavy  welding  heat  be  required,  we  must  take  two 
or  more  shovels  of  wet  slack  (after,  of  course,  light- 
ing up)  and  tamp  this  down  gently  with^the  shovel, 
so  that  it  forms  an  arched  oven,  as  if  were,  and  poke 
a  hole  or  holes  to  run  in  the  bar  or  plural.  If  we 
observe  a  blue  or  greenish  tinge  in  the  flames,  we 
will  probably  consider  as  to  the  advisability  of 
shoveling  off  "all"  the  fire  and  beginning  again,  as 
sulphur  is  in  the  ascendant. 

Sulphur  would  cause  the  white-hot  iron  to  run 
away  in  drops.  Mine  is  a  portable  forge,  and  by 
drawing  out  the  plug  at  the  back  in  the  air-pipe  when 
knocking  off  for  a  spell,  this  not  only  allows  the  en- 
trance of  air  to  keep  fire  alight,b^^^^e  lia- 

rn* 


2l8  BLACKSMITHING. 

bility  there  is  to  blowing  up  a  bellows,  if  fresh  coal 
is  put  on,  and  immediately  after,  more  especially  if 
it  be  wet  slack,  the  blowing  be  stopped,  as  in  this 
event  the  large  quantity  of  gas  generated  finds  its 
way  into  the  said  elbows,  and  when  the  culprit  next 
draws  down  the  handle,  he  mixes  it  with  the  air,  and 
a  violent  explosion  is  the  result,  as  well  as  probably 
the  splitting  of  the  inside  middle  board.  This  is 
the  reason  why  the  nozzle  of  an  ordinary  bellows 
ought  not  to  be  jammed  into  the  tuyere;  but  there 
should  be,  say,  i  4  inch  clear  space  around  its  end. 
A  steady  continuous  blast  is  far  more  efficacious 
than  short  jerky  forcing. 

The  putting  of  salt  or  anything  else  in  the  water 
for  tempering  is  bosh. 

When  a  smith  applies  to  me  for  a  job,  I  always  set 
him — if  in  want  of  one — to  make  his  hammer  and  a 
pair  of  tongs.  When  an  amateur  can  make  a  tongs 
that  does  not  open  when  it  ought  to  shut  he  will 
know  a  thing  or  two  anent  forging,  and  when  a  smith 
can  make  a  good  cast-steel  hammer,  it  is  tolerably 
certain  that  he  is  up  to  the  hammer,  and  if  he  doesn't 
want  to  wet  it  too  often,  deserves  taking  on. 

As  to  the  silent  language,  it  would  never  do  if  one 
had  to  say  to  a  striker,  "Will  you  be  kind  enough  to 
hit  so  and  so?"  therefore  if  we  want  the  striker,  we 
ring  on  the  hand  hammer;  he  is  all  attention.  We 
whip  out  the  bar  and  gently  tickle  it  together  whilst 
in  a  melting  mood;  next,  we  tap  it  in  an  inviting 


BLACKSMITHING. 


219 


manner  upon  the  spot  where  he  ought  to  strike  it, 
which,  as  before  stated,  should,  as  a  rule,  be  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  anvil.  At  first  both  strike  alternately, 
but  as  the  reducing  effect  of  the  sledge  becomes  evi- 
dent, we,  the  smith,  judiciously  intersperse  our  blows 
upon  the  jobs  by  taps  upon  the  anvil,  always  shifting 
our  irons;  but  unless  we  touch  a  certain  spot  with 
our  hammer  he  is  to  keep  on  striking  in  the  middle, 
and  when  we  require  him  to  knock  off  we  bring  down 
our  hammer  in  such  a  way  that  it  in  a  sense  rings 
upon  the  anvil. — English  Mechanic  and  World  of 
Science. 

THE    HACK     SAW. 

Probably  no  tool  devised  for  the  use  of  iron  work- 
ers  in    recent   years   can    be   employed   to   greater 


FIG.  206.— SHOWING  THE  HACK  SAW. 


advantage  by  a  blacksmith  than  a  hack  saw.  In 
many  shops  it  has  almost  supplanted  the  cold  chisel, 
as  it  can  be  used  in  nearly  all  cases  where  the  latter 
tool  comes  in  play,  and  does  its  work  more  ex- 


22O  BLACKSMITHING. 

peditiously.  It  will  cut  iron  almost  as  rapidly  as  an 
ordinary  saw  cuts  wood.  Its  cheapness  brings  it 
within  the  range  of  every  mechanic  having  iron  to 
cut.  The  engraving,  Fig.  206,  gives  a  correct  idea 
of  its  appearance. 

ADJUSTABLE    TONGS. 

I  lately  came  across  about  as  handy  a  blacksmith's 
tool  as  one  could  wish  to  find.  It  was  an  adjust- 
able pair  of  tongs  that  will  hold  tight  enough  for  any 
light  work.  The  jaw,  J,  Fig.  207,  is  provided  with 
a  slot,  S,  and  the  rivet  is  carried  at  that  end  in  a 


FIG.   207. — ADJUSTABLE  TONGS,   AS   DESCRIBED   BY   "  NEW  YORKER. 

tongue,  A,  that  passes  through  a  lug,  B,  and  is  fast- 
ened by  a  key,  K,  so  that  it  can  be  set  with  the  hand 
hammer  and  without  any  wrench.  I  have  found  it 
an  excellent  tool,  and  am  sure  that  anybody  that 
makes  one  will  be  pleased  with  it. — By  NEW  YORKER. 

TONGS    FOR    MAKING    SPRING    CLIPS,  SLEIGH    JACKS,  ETC. 

I  send  you  a  sketch,  Fig.  208,  of  a  pair  of  tongs  for 
making  sleigh  jacks,  spring  clips,  staples,  etc.  A  is 
a  clip  to  be  bent  as  at  B,  Fig.  209.  The  pair  of 


BLACKSMITHING. 


221 


tongs  has  in  jaw,  C,  Fig.  210,  a  hole  for  the  stem,  the 
width  of  the  jaw,  D,  being  that  required  between  the 
jaws  of  the  clip.  If  both  jaws  have  holes  through 


FIG.  209. 


FIG.  210. 


FIG.  208. 


them  and  are  of  different  widths  two  sizes  of  clips 
can  be  bent  on  one  pair  of  tongs. — By  R.  R.  M. 


END    OF    VOLUME    I. 


INDEX. 


ANVIL  for  French  clips 175 

Anvils,  how  made 99 

Anvil,  putting  a  horn  on 113 

Anvils,  sharp  or  round  edges. . .  no 

Anvils,  to  dress 106 

Anvil,  to  fasten  to  a  block.. 114,  115, 
120,  121,  123 

Anvil,  to  forge 128 

Anvil,  to  mend 117 

Armor ix 

Art  of  the  blacksmith vii 

BENCH  for  smoothing 71 

Bench,  handy 76 

Bench  (tool),  improved. . .  .69,  77,  80 

Blacksmiths'  art,  history  of. .   .  viii 

Blacksmiths'  coal 63 

Blacksmith  shop,  plan  of.  .33,  65,  72 

Blacksmiths'  tools 131,  163-194 

Blower,  home-made 205 

CALIPERS,  double 138 

Calipers,  single.    139 

Calks,  tools  for  sharpening. ...  116 

Carriage  shop,  a  modern  village  52 

Carriage  shop,  plan  of 84 

Chain  mail x 

Chimney,  blacksmith... 42,  44,  46,  47 

Chimney  (smoky),  to  cure 40 

Chisel,  the  cold 147 

Chisel,  the  hot 146 

Chisel,  the  gouge 147 

Chisel,  the  square 148 

Clips  for  fifth  wheels,  to  forge.  112 

Clips,  tool  for  making 191 

Coal  for  blacksmiths 63 

Cone,  the  anvil 154 

DIVIDERS 140 

EYES  for  tool  handles 131 

FIRE,  hollow  vs.  open 58 

Fire-place,  to  cement 62 

Fire,  points  about 61 


Fire,  to  keep  in  small  compass.  61 

Flatter 153 

Flatter,  round  edge 154 

Forge,  a  simple. ...     38 

Forge,  African » 28 

Forge,  an  Arkansas 47 

Forge,  blacksmiths' 61 

Forge,  improved 35,  67 

Forge  (portable),  home-made .  .  81 

Forging  fifth  wheel 112 

Fork  for  bending 155 

French  clips 175 

Fuller  for  offset  work 156 

Fuller,  the  bottom 152 

Fuller,  the  top 152 

HACK  saw 219 

Hammers...     183,  195,  197,  199,  200 

Hammers,  ancient  and  modern  i 

Hammer,  ball  pane 137 

Hammer,  dog  head 22 

Hammer  for  straightening  saws  19 

Hammer  head  of  stone 2 

Hammer,  machinist's 12 

Hammer,  the , 10 

Hammer,  the  cross-face 18 

Hammer,  the  set 150 

Hammer,  the  twist 21 

Hammer,  uses  of 14 

Harrow  teeth  tool 177 

Harrow  tooth,  to  bend 178 

IRON  work,  artistic xx 

LATHE,  primitive 29 

Lathe  used  in  Asia 30 

MALLET,  the  stone  mason's. ...  n 

Mandrel  for  nuts 158 

PLAN  of  blacksmith's  shop..     33,  65 

Punches 184 

Punch,  eye 149 

Punch  for  anvils,  to  make 126 

Punch,  round 148 


INDEX. 


Punch,  the  bob 149 

Punch,  the  square   149 

Punch,  to  make 125 

ROOF  for  blacksmith's  shop. . .  58 

SADDLE,  for  forked  pieces.    ...  159 

Saw  (hack) 219 

Saws,  to  straighten 15 

Shop,  care  of 74 

Sledge,  straight  pane 141 

Square,  T 141 

Swages i8o-i82 

Swage,  bottom  or  anvil is1 

Swage,  nut 15? 

Swage,  the  bottom is1 

Swage,  the  collar 155 

Swage,  the  side 15* 

Swage,  the  top 15° 

S wedge,  self-acting 124 

TONGS 183,  185,  186,  187,  i89 

Tongs,  adjustable 22° 

Tongs  and  tools, 137 

Tongs  (bent  bit),  for  round  iron  144 

Tongs,  box 142 

Tongs    flat 142 

Tongs  for  bending  iron  on  the 

edge 145 

Tongs  for  bolts I46 

Tongs  for  bolt  work 161 

Tongs,for  different  sizes 144 

Tongs   flat 143 

Tongs  for  flatwise  bending  ....  144 

Tongs  for  hoofs 162 


Tongs  for  round  work i6O 

Tongs  for  sharpening  chisels. ..  146 

Tongs,  hollow  bit 143 

Tongs  improper  shape 159 

Tongs  for  irregular  work 161 

Tongs,  pick  up 142,  162 

Tongs,  pincer 144 

Tongs,  proper  bow  of  jaws. .  . .  161 

Tongs,  proper  shape 163 

Tongs,  proper  shape  of  jaws. . .  160 
Tongs,  proper     shape     of,   for 

special  work 159 

Tongs,  round  bit 143 

Tongs  with  bent  bit 144 

Tongs  with  box  piece 142 

Tongs  with  crooked  bits 145 

Tools,  ancient 25 

Tool  bench,  improved 68 

Tool  for  bending  flat  pieces 1 56 

Tools  for  blacksmiths 131 

Tool  for  cupping 150 

Tool  for  harrow  teeth 177 

Tool  for  heading   158 

Tool  for  making  bolts.. 157 

Tool  for  making  clips 191 

Tools  for  miners 214 

Tool  for  nut  heads 158 

Tool  handles,  eyes  for 131 

Tool,  the  foot 153 

Tuyere 202 

Tuyere,  improved 82 

Tuyere,  to  set 49 

WEAPONS  and  armor xiii 

Work  bench,  convenient 80 

Work  and  workmen,  ancient  and 

modern 30 


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